Feathers
by JMLHCPKSfan
Summary: Kendall and his "brother", Carlos, were given a simple mission. Find the other two bird kids and turn them in to the Cali laboratory, or else Carlos is sent to an early grave. But when it turns out that their secret captives are their soul mates, huge decisions must be made in the end. *Kames* *Cargan*
1. Four Bird Boys

Logan sat atop the Gateway Arch, wind blowing through his dark hair and threatening to push him off. The stupid tourists didn't know he was there, just above their heads, but he liked it that way. Out of the spotlight. People saw him flying all the time. People in Saint Louis knew Logan- the teen boy with a bad attitude and wings like a bird. Tourists took pictures of him, people asked for autographs of a feather to take home. Some thought he was an angel, yet his dark wings and complexion added to his attitude made the popular belief to be that he was a demon. But he never acknowledged them.

His phone rang and he rolled his eyes to answer it.

"Logan Mitchell you get down from there this instant." his mother ordered. She saw him up there- she was the only one- and hated it when he hid from her. It was most often atop the Arch, but sometimes in was on buildings or atop of electric poles.

"Mom!" he groaned. "I don't want to go to the lab today."

His mother always took him to the lab. Every other day. It was the only source of income for the family of two- Logan was too much in the limelight to get a real job and his mother just had back surgery and probably wouldn't work again. So the Missouri Biological Science Laboratory paid her thousands of dollars to take her son to the lab so they could examine him. They poked him with needles, took his blood, did reflex tests, made him angry on purpose, even cut him open once to see his organs and bones. Needless to say, Logan HATED going and his mom hated taking him, but it was necessary. Once they got a good stock of money, they stopped going.

"Look, Logie. I hate it, too. But we haven't been in a long time." she said. "And we need the money."

Logan sighed and put his phone away, simply sliding off the arch and plummeting toward the ground. A few people screamed and pointed, making everyone stop and stare at the boy who was simply falling from the arch.

He enjoyed the free-falling feeling. The feeling of weightlessness, the wind blowing through his hair, knowing that nobody else in the world (that he knew of) could do such a thing without a parachute or bungee cord.

He got to about thirty feet from the ground before his wings snapped out and carried him straight up in the air again. He considered just going back to the top of the Arch, knowing his mom was watching and it would piss her off.

Instead, he just did a loop-de-loop and banked in the grass, folding his wings up and fixing his hair as the usual crowd formed around him- touching his wings. Suddenly, an hand gripped his arm and ripped him away.

"I'm SO mad at you." his mom growled. "We're an hour late."

Logan rolled his eyes and left the crowd behind. Truthfully, he wished he could just fly in peace. Without everyone watching and awing at him. But he knew that would never happen. Besides his wings, everyone awed at his looks in general.

His hair and eyes were dark- almost black- hair wind blown to go everywhere. He was pale, but could be paler, considering how much time he spends atop tall things, close to the sun. He wasn't tall- not even six feet- but his arms, stomach, and legs were strong. He only weighed about a hundred pounds when his build suggested a hundred and fifty. His bones were hollow for flight- just like a bird. His black wings, shining purple in the light, spanned a good ten feet tip-to-tip. When folded up against his back, the tops exceeded past his head about four inches, the tips nearly reaching his knees, making them impossible to hide under any circumstances. If you looked at his bare back, you would see that the wings were attached to his spine, but branched out a little. The black feathers were embedded not only in his wings, but in the skin around the base of the wings as well. His hearing and seeing was exquisite, along with his intelligence and reflexes.

Yes, Logan Mitchell was born this way. How? Nobody knew. He was born a normal child weighing less than three pounds when born full term. Nobody could figure out why his bones were hollow- until the wings sprouted. His mother went to get the two nubs removed as soon as they appeared, but the surgeons assured her that if they removed the growths, Logan may be paralyzed forever. So they let them be, deciding they were benign, until they grew into full-fledged, operational wings. Mrs. Mitchell wouldn't let them study her son. Not til he was sixteen, when they were desperate for money.

"You're gonna get yourself shot one day. Know how much a corpse of a teen boy with wings is worth?" Mrs. Mitchell lectured in the car. "Probably a lot."

"Whatever, Mom." he grumbled. "I'm nineteen now."

"Yeah, yeah." she sighed. "But that doesn't change anything."

He rolled his eyes and sat back, watching the passing buildings and cars. It wouldn't be long til he arrived at the lab and hell could start all over again. He wasn't sure that he could do this anymore...

* * *

James sighed and popped a blackberry in his mouth. He was STARVING, having lived off of berries and stolen foods for weeks now. But it was worth it. He'd find California, even if it killed him. He had to expose himself. Become famous. Something his mother never allowed.

He was in Illinois now, in the woods, gorging himself on these blackberries growing on the bushes here. He needed a rest, anyway.

Suddenly he heard a low moan behind him, the ground beneath his bare feet vibrating as something approached him. James slowly turned, eyes growing as a giant black bear stood there, shoving berries in its mouth.

"A BEAR?" he whispered in terror, making the huge animal's attention turn to him for the first time. "Nice bear. I'll call you Pooh. You like that name?"

The bear stood on its hind legs and roared.

"So you don't like that name." he laughed, terrified. The bear fell down to all fours and advanced, James whirling around to run for dear life. The dead leaves and tree branches irritating his feet as he ran. He searched above for a break in the trees as the bear gained up on him.

"GO AWAY!" he yelled over his shoulder, having no effect on the bear.

The bear reached out with a mighty paw, grabbing out for him. But he had already jumped and unfurled his mighty ash-grey wings. The bear slashed his ankle and James cried out in pain, the bear being left below as James landed on a high branch, which the bear wouldn't be able to reach. Heck, the bear couldn't even see him now.

"FUCKING ASSHOLE!" James yelled down at it as his ankle dripped blood that landed on the bear's face. It roared up at him, making for the trunk of the tree he was in and climbing. "Well, fuck. Smart bear, aren't you, Pooh?"

James leaped from his branch, only plunging down for a few feet before his wings caught wind and brought him up. He beat his wings and broke through the barrier of branches in the forest canopy, and was free in the sky.

Gosh, but his wings were soar. He had been flying for weeks, having come from New York, where he lived for his whole life, being nineteen now.

Some might say James was just plain beautiful. He was tall- about six one or six two- and tan. Dark lashes frames beautiful hazel eyes, a little more brown than green, that seemed a little dopey, but were actually quite smart. His dark brown hair was chopped short and pushed back- an improvement he had made a while before running away from home, knowing long girlish hair would only get matted and gross on his journey. He was extremely muscular- anywhere that COULD have muscle, did. But the most beautiful part of him was his wings. Yes, wings.

They were those of a bird- a BIG, powerful bird. From tip-to-tip, they spanned about eleven feet and were so powerful that they had carried this hundred-and-eighty-or-so pound boy for weeks with only hours' breaks. They were a consistent ash grey, making him look exactly like an angel who had rolled around in a fire pit. Like Logan, they were impossible to hide. Needless to say, he didn't get out much.

And that's why he ran away.

His mom was a scientist. He was born a regular human, but years of reconstruction on Brooke Diamond's son brought him to be this. A "mutant freak who would never make it in the real world". James didn't hate his mom for it. He loved his mutation. He could FLY. But he wanted to go and show himself to the world. Go to California, maybe get some movie deals. He wanted everyone to know about him. Brooke, on the other hand, was afraid she would be arrested for doing this to her son, so didn't let him. So after years of begging and pleading, he decided to just go. Leave her behind.

* * *

Carlos swallowed hard as he and Kendall awaited their fates in the bottom of a metal lab cart. They were curled up in the bottom, invisible to the doctors everywhere. They could hear that they were close to arriving somewhere. HOPEFULLY somewhere with a window.

Kendall pressed his finger to his lips, eyes wide, as Carlos squeezed his eyes shut in fear. They were finally going to escape this hell. Be FREE. Either that, or die trying. Anything was better than the life they had been living for a year now.

The cart stopped and footsteps walked away, a door opening and closing.

Kendall closed his eyes in concentration, holding an arm out to stop Carlos from moving. He listened hard, listening for any movement or voicing of any kind. Carlos watched him. He couldn't hear anything, but then again, he didn't have the ears of a hawk.

Kendall nodded and carefully crept from the curtain, standing up in a hospital room- empty.

"Hurry up- they're probably gonna bring a patient in here soon." Kendall whispered, hurrying to the huge window as Carlos got out of the cart. He looked down, seeing that they were at least twenty stories above nothing but trees. He pried the window open as he felt Carlos approach behind him.

"Kendall... I can't fly." he whispered, terror in his eyes.

Kendall detected footsteps approaching.

"It'll come naturally. And if it doesn't, I've got your back." With that Kendall dove out the window, body forming a cross. The door began opening, and in a panic, Carlos followed.

About ten feet above the Wisconsin tree tops, Kendall allowed his magnificent wings to unfurl and lift him up toward the sky again. He tilted his left wing down, bringing him around to see a free-falling Carlos.

"CARLOS! OPEN YOUR DAMN WINGS!" Kendall called. Carlos did, but the wings, which had never caught flight before, wobbled and took him toward the trees again. Kendall sighed and folded his own wings a little to dive and catch Carlos just in time. "We'll work on it." Kendall laughed, carrying Carlos bridal style toward the sky again.

Carlos had never flown before that time. He had been surgically given his wings about a year ago, had complete control over them, but was never given the chance to FLY. Kendall, however, was given his wings at only four years old. He was taken from his mom and sister by his father- yes, his biological father had done that to him. Manually hollowed out his bones, GREW wings on him, heightened his hearing and eyesight manually, and EVERYTHING.

Kendall was tall- six one or two- with short golden hair, green eyes, and a hooked nose. His hollowed bones allowed him to only be in the early hundred pounds, instead of a hundred and seventy or so. He wasn't very muscular, but he could be strong if he needed. His huge wings were light brown and white. The feathers hugging the main bone of the wings being brown, and fading into white all the way to the bottom. He had NEVER lived a life outside of a lab since he was four.

On the other hand, Carlos was almost the exact opposite. Having been an orphan, they found him disposable. The doctors practically stitched to huge pure-white wings on him and studied him. He had control of the wings, but had never flown before. He wasn't even six feet tall, with black hair and eyes, dark skin, being of Latino decent, and the ghost of smiles and happiness in his eyes. His natural beauty added to his pure white wings suggested he may be an angel, but of course he wasn't.

"Thanks for saving me." Carlos said.

"Yeah, we you're heavy." Kendall said, wings working to keep them both in the air. "It's either nut-up or I leave you behind."

"I dunno how to fly, though!" Carlos whined.

"Okay. I'm gonna drop you." Kendall said. (They were about a hundred feet in the air). "And whenever you feel like it, just before you hit the trees, you open your wings. Really fast. And you hold them steady. They'll do the rest. But if you start to go down, you have to flap them."

"Okay." Carlos said, terrified.

"On the count of three." Kendall said. "One-"

With that, the blonde dropped his friend, sending the Latino plummeting either to his death or to his victory. He watched nervously as Carlos opened his magnificent wings and wobbled a little, then gained control and started curving to the sky. Kendall smiled and nodded. He was glad Carlos had made it. Carlos was going to make this trip fun, with his jokes and smiling, but if Carlos HADN'T succeeded, Kendall would be alone.

"Congratulations, buddy!" Kendall said, giving a thumbs up as he approached Carlos.

"What the HELL happened to two and three?" Carlos asked angrily.

"You'd be all tense and never make it if I didn't surprise you." Kendall said. "Let's GO."

* * *

**So I had a million other, more important things, I could have been writing today. Instead I did this. :D I really like it- I'll try not to make it too similar to Maximum Ride. BUT I still have more important stuff to be writing, so sorry if these chapters are all spread out. **

**Let me know what you guys think of this! :D**


	2. Arches and Witches

"Excuse me, ma'am, but could you tell me where I am?" James asked charmingly, leaning on the counter of the gas station, cocking a brow at the young cashier, who blushed.

"You're in Jefferson." she said.

"Thanks-" he looked at her name tag. "Lindsey. Could you tell me how to get to Washington?"

"You follow the highway- that way." she pointed to her right. "Til you hit the sign that says 'Welcome to Washington'."

"Thanks, sweetheart." he winked. He didn't come in contact with a lot of girls, but watched plenty of TV, and knew that that's how you charm them. Act cool and smile a lot. "Catch ya later."

With that, he turned.

"Sir?"

He whirled around again.

"Are you... Related to Logan Mitchell? From Saint Louis?" she asked. "Cause he has wings just like yours. Can I touch them?"

James blushed- forgetting about his wings.

"Logan Mitchell?"

"Yeah. Everyone knows him."

"And he's got wings like mine?"

"Yeah. Except they're black." she nodded.

"How do I get to where he lives?" James asked.

"Go left instead of right."

"Thanks."

"Wait! Can you take me flying?"

James sighed and reached back plucking a long grey feather from toward the tip and going to lean on the counter again.

"Here." he said, holding it out casually to her between his middle and index fingers. "Keep it. Maybe I'll come back for you so we can go flying."

She took it and beamed.

"You don't have lice, do you?" she asked suspiciously.

"I keep my feathers nice and lice-free." he laughed before winking and making his way out.

Logan Mitchell from Saint Louis.

He needed to find this guy. Find out his story. See if he could guide James in the right direction. James had no idea if this guy was seventy-five, fourty, or ten. Didn't matter. It would be great to meet someone like him- he thought he was alone. Unless he was a hoax. Or the girl was lying. In which case, James would just keep traveling to California.

He took off running through the grass before kicking off the ground and taking flight toward Saint Louis.

* * *

"I needa break." Carlos gasped, his wings beginning to give out. Kendall sighed and banked, watching Carlos clumsily land, not knowing how to bank properly yet.

"We're losing time." Kendall said impatiently.

"Well MY wings aren't all strong like yours." Carlos said, laying down. "What's the rush anyway?"

"We're going to Minnesota to live with my mom and Katie. They think I'm dead." Kendall said, wings spread to cool off as he paced. "I'm just anxious to get there."

"Oh." Carlos said. "And I'm living there, too?"

"Of course you are." Kendall laughed. "We stick together, right? Brothers forever."

When they were living in the lab, they were inseparable.

_Kendall heard the muffled sound of something being tossed into the bed across the room from his, waking him from his slumber. He glanced up after the door was shut, having no problem seeing the other person in the bed, since the lights were always on._

_The person was completely limp, face down, chest and back wrapped up in bloody bandages, a huge hump down the back._

_The next day, he found that the guy's name was Carlos and he was kidnapped from his orphanage at eighteen. They knocked him out and did... SOMETHING. They removed the bandages and Kendall just stared at the bloody mess on the Latino's back._

_Stitched on there were two red (supposed to be white, but were bloody) wings. Carlos couldn't move them because of the pain, but Kendall felt around and found that they attached to his spine._

_"You're like me." Kendall whispered in awe._

_"I'm scared. Am I gonna die?" Carlos asked, tears in his innocent eyes. It was then that Kendall decided that he would take this boy under his wing: literally. He would take care of this boy._

_"If you die, I die, too. We're gonna stick together." Kendall said, wrapping Carlos up again._

_"I'm starving." Carlos whispered, shaking like a leaf. Kendall nodded and went to his own bed- which was nothing more than a stiff mattress on the floor- and reached into the slit on the side against the wall, retrieving a half of a chicken-salad sandwich from last night and tossing it at his roommate._

_Carlos eagerly unwrapped it and shoved it in his mouth, groaning in ecstasy, even though the sandwich wasn't that good, being out all night._

_"Is this cannibalism?" Carlos asked over a mouthful of sandwich. Kendall laughed and shook his head._

_Over the course of the next few months, Carlos's stitches had healed and were taken out. He found that he had control over them and in their free time in their cell, Kendall taught him how to use them. How to open and close them, how to clean them, the most comfortable way to sleep. He was like a big brother to Carlos- taking care of the boy as best he could, comforting him when he got back from the lab and defending him when the cell-guards got rough with him._

_And from then on, they WERE brothers. Forever._

"Okay- I'm ready." Carlos nodded, standing up and rustling his feathers.

"Just like I taught you." Kendall said.

"I need another example. You know I'm a slow learner." Carlos said apologetically. Kendall laughed and began running, taking off into the air and hovering there, watching Carlos do the same but opening his wings too late and almost not succeeding.

"You know, I wouldn't have really left you." Kendall said sincerely. "I would have carried you."

"I know." Carlos smiled beside him, wings in sync with his brother's. "But I'm glad you said you would. It motivated me. That and when I realized you were like a thousand feet above me and didn't look like you were gonna stop me from splattering everywhere."

"It's all part of the training." Kendall laughed. "I'll teach you how to dive-bomb sometime. But not til you can actually take off and land on your own."

* * *

Logan set his jaw at the memory of only and hour ago he found out that he was sterile. Something about being like a mule- a mix of two species, and being unable to undergo effective meiosis. This meant if they ever found a bird-GIRL to go with the bird-BOY, they'd be forced to mate. To see if it was possible. To see if the girl had live young or eggs. To see if the babies had wings. And he also learned that there was rumored to be one in Switzerland.

"C'mon, Logie. It wouldn't be so bad." his mom offered in the car. She hadn't given them a solid yes or no, because she didn't want to force her son into sex, but it WAS for science... "She'd be pretty and blonde and probably have big-"

"Mom! I don't care." Logan interrupted. "They can't make me have sex with a complete stranger. And you shouldn't be okay with it!"

"I'm not. But who else are they gonna use?"

"HOPEFULLY nobody."

They arrived home and Logan went straight to his room. Once inside, he slipped out of the window and was free. He flew and flew- nowhere in particular. He was actually pretty positive he went to another state and back, but who cares? It was almost dark by the time he arrived at the Arch for a rest.

* * *

James got completely lost and was exhausted, so he decided to take a break and find out where he was going. He was in Saint Louis, but where was this Logan guy? Probably would have been a useful question to ask, right?

He landed atop the Gateway Arch to find carvings where he sat. A stick figure with wings. "LM". "Fuck the world". There was only one type of person that could get up here to carve things here- a bird kid. Okay, so whoever Logan was, he was old enough to write and to know about cuss words.

He laid down on his stomach, the metallic material the Arch was made of burning him, but he didn't care. He was worn out- couldn't go on without a cat nap.

* * *

Finally a little too tired for more free-flying, but not ready to go home, Logan cut through the air to his favorite spot atop the arch. It was sunset, so there would be a fantastic view.

He was surprised to find someone already there, laying, looking DEAD, atop the arch. He landed quietly, trying not to fall because he was on slightly curved ground now, and slowly approached the form.

The person was big- much bigger than Logan- with short dark hair. As he got closer, he found that the guy had beautiful features- a strong jaw, perfect nose, tan skin, pink lips. He noticed that he was breathing deeply- so he was asleep. But what really caught his attention was the enormous ash-grey wings on the guy's back, the back of his black tank top having two shreds down the bottom for the wings. The boy had no shoes on, the bottoms of his jeans muddy and gross along with his big, veiny hands.

Logan knelt beside the sleeping boy, reaching out a shaky hand to bush the fine feathers on the massive wings, eyes huge. They were soft and warm, yet ruffled. This boy had been flying for a long time.

"Hmm..." the boy grumbled, eyes squeezing shut a little before opening in confusion. Logan's hand jerked back and he stood, losing his balance.

"You're Logan!" the boy said, getting to his feet and snapping a hand out to catch Logan before he fell.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?" Logan yelled in horror, ripping from the boy's grip and backing down the arch, away.

"Gosh, I thought I'd have to find you!" the boy said happily. "But you found me!"

"Back the hell up!" Logan said as the boy stepped toward him, making Logan back up, feet beginning to slide as the Arch curved downward.

"You're gonna fall- let me-" the boy said, reaching out a hand, just as Logan's feet slid from beneath him. His body quickly slid down, then he was free falling.

The boy watched as Logan twisted in the air and allowed his wings to open and catch the air, bringing him back up and in front of the boy, but not landing.

The boy laughed and sat on the edge to look up at Logan, Logan lowering himself a little to be on his level.

"I'm James." the boy said, hazel eyes friendly. "And I'm like you." With that, James extended one wing out and allowed Logan to see before folding it back up against his back.

"Logan."

"I know." James nodded. "I was actually on my way to Washington, but I was told there was a bird kid here, so I changed directions."

Logan didn't look convinced, crossing his arms as his form went up and down with the flapping of his wings.

"I'm from New York- I ran away." James explained. "I'm on my way to California. I wanna be famous."

"Why?"

"Cause that's just what I want." James shrugged. "What about you? What do YOU want?"

Logan was taken aback. Nobody had ever asked him what HE wanted.

"You want something." James smirked.

"Not really. Just... Never mind." Logan said. "I don't even know you."

"C'mon, man!" James pleaded. "Money? Acceptance? A huge house? Girls? BOYS? The sky's the limit- LITERALLY."

Logan sighed and moved to stand on the arch, folding up his wings and sitting about a foot from James.

"None of that." he sighed. "I just want to be AWAY from all this shit. My mom selling me to science, everyone watching my every move, not being able to be NORMAL..."

"So come to Cali with me!"

"It's not that easy. My mom would be all alone til my dad comes home in a few weeks from the Marines."

"Does she LIKE selling you out to science?"

"No?"

"Then don't you think she'd be happier if you DID leave? And she wouldn't have to do that to you anymore?"

"She would have no source of income til my dad comes home."

"And no bird boy to take care of and feed."

"Are you suggesting my mom hates me?" Logan asked defensively.

"No! I'm suggesting- maybe it'd be for the best." James said. "I mean, you'd be with your own kind- free and wild- and she wouldn't have to feel guilty anymore. Just think of it. Me 'n you- flying around the country. No worries, no pressures. Just the air beneath our wings."

"It's not that simple. FIRST off, how do I know you're not gonna take me to some lab? And besides the fact that I know NOTHING about you, what do we eat? And drink? Where do we sleep?" Logan asked smartly. "There's SO much more to running away."

"Look, I've been on my own for a month now." James said. "I steal food or charm my way into free meals. Sometimes I show my wings for money in the streets for money. I sleep where I can WHEN I can. And you can check me for microphones or cameras and do whatever- but I swear this isn't a trap."

Logan was silent, looking at the setting sun.

"Trust me, dude." James said. "I know what I'm doing."

"I don't wanna be famous, though."

"Look- we can either go to your house and get stuff and get on the road, figuring everything else out LATER... or we can go our separate ways, me being lonely and clueless, you regretting turning me down."

Logan was silent, looking down at the huge drop to the grass below, then up at James's hazel eyes. It was getting dark...

"How about you come to my house, we have a nice, wholesome meal, you take a shower and wash your clothes, you sleep in my guest bedroom, and we leave in the morning- early. Like five." Logan suggested. James's face lit up and he grinned.

"You're gonna come with me?"

"Yeah- you're right. If I DON'T go, I'll just regret it." Logan said softly.

* * *

Kendall sat on his tree branch, head and back against the trunk, thinking. Carlos was below, trying to conjure up a nice little bed for them in the grass. They were almost to Minnesota, but were too tired to finish the journey.

Anyway, Kendall was thinking about what his baby sister is like. She was only months old when he was taken, and even then HE was only four, so he didn't remember too much about her. Other than her huge brown eyes and her name. Katie. She must be fifteen now.

And his mom. He remembered his mom being the most kind, warm-hearted person on earth. Too bad she was married to such a horrible man. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would accept her new son, Carlos, into the family with open arms. Carlos had never known what family was like besides Kendall. He grew up in an orphanage for unknown reasons. He would be happy to just- BELONG.

And his bastard of a dad. He had did this to his own son, then LEFT him. For another lab somewhere- god knows where. He was under strict surveillance... Which made it weird that nobody went after him and Carlos when they broke out. Like it was some sort of... TEST.

"I'm fucking starving." Carlos grumbled. Both his and Kendall's stomachs were used to being neglected, but they hadn't eaten for a whole day. They were teenaged boys, for god's sake! And Carlos needed extra food, being normal human weight, his wings needed extra in order to carry that weight around. Kendall, however, had hollow bones and an adapted system, with wings that didn't have to carry so much weight. Not to mention he didn't have normal hormones, so he didn't need to eat as much.

Kendall jumped down from his branch and nodded.

"You're right. I can't imagine how hungry you are... I'll go find a gas station." he said.

"You don't have money."

"I don't need money." Kendall shrugged before taking off.

* * *

"Mom, this is James." Logan introduced as he and James approached her in the kitchen. His mom reprimanded her son for being out so late, but then smiled up at James.

"Hi." she said.

"Hey."

"So as you see, he's like me." Logan said flatly. After his mom was done marveling over James, she turned to stir the noodles that were boiling.

"Can he sleep here?" Logan asked. "He ran away- has flown here from New York. Has no money."

His mom hesitated.

"You look like you haven't eaten in a while." she noted.

"I ate a twinkie this morning." James corrected.

"Well how about Logan throws your clothes in the washer while you take a shower. Then you can eat with us. Hope you like spaghetti!"

Logan quietly lead James to his room.

"Okay. So bathroom's there-" he pointed to the bathroom that was connected to his room. "Just toss your clothes out and I'll put em in the washer. Use whatever's in there- I don't care."

"Thanks, Logan. I know I'm a stranger and all... So thanks."

"Yeah, yeah." Logan said, rolling his eyes without a smile.

"You're not a very bright and shining person, are you?"

"Wanna push it?" Logan warned, making James throw his hands up.

As James showered and his clothes were in the wash, Logan sneaked into his mom and dad's room. His dad was a Marine, retiring soon. It was the only reason Logan wasn't so uptight about leaving his mom- cause he knew his dad would be home within a few weeks to take care of her. He would be sad to not see his dad again, but they weren't super close like he and his mother.

Logan picked out a bunch of t-shirts, jeans, and shorts, along with a few pairs of shoes for James to try on and take. When he returned to his room, James only had a towel around his waist, beads of water pouring down his chest.

"Here's some-a my dad's clothes." Logan said, tossing them at James. "We're not the same size. Obviously."

"Thanks, man." James said brightly, taking the clothes. "Got scissors?"

"Oh- right."

They cut slits down the back for James's wings. Logan's mom had done the same for his shirts, too. James disappeared into the bathroom to change and Logan made up a duffle bag of clothes for both of them and other necessities, keeping the bag light-ish.

At dinner, James ate enough for three.

"I'm really sorry, ma'am. It's just that I haven't eaten a real meal in weeks." James apologized. He was like Carlos- needing more food than average.

"Not to mention you're a teenager." she said. "It's fine. Logie eats a whole lot, too. But that's cause he has the metabolism of a bird. He was born this way."

This was the difference between Logan and Kendall. Logan was born this way, so he had the metabolism of a bird. Kendall wasn't, and couldn't be given one, yet he didn't need as much energy as an average teen.

"Oh- wow." James said in surprise. "I was given my wings manually, see."

"So your bones aren't hollow or anything?"

"Nope. I mean, I grew my wings at a young age- but that's cause I was given all these chemicals and stuff. But that's about it for me- I think." James explained.

After dinner, James was happy to lay in the guest bed. Gosh- it's been forever since he laid in a bed. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, Logan continuing to pack, ran to the ATM to withdraw a few hundred dollars to leave his mom, made a note for her, and set an alarm for 5 am. He found himself crying a little when he wrote the note- telling her he appreciated her and loved her, but he had to find better things for him.

* * *

Carlos was on the blanket, scared to death, clinging to the glowstick he was left with. He had waited an hour like this, waiting for Kendall. He was scared. Of what? The Blaire fricking Witch, of course.

There was a rustling in the bushes, making Carlos bolt up, ready for flight. A hand touched his shoulder, only seconds afterward, and Carlos screamed.

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU OLD BAT!" he yelled, whirling around and flailing the glow stick in defense.

"Carlos!" Kendall laughed. Carlos stopped, staring at his brother. He had thrown rocks over Carlos's head, making it seem like there was something in the bushes, meanwhile sneaking up behind Carlos.

"YOU DICK! I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE FUCKING BLAIRE WITCH!" he yelled, spearing the stick at Kendall- hard.

Kendall giggled and shook his head.

"Note to self- when scared, bird kids attempt to make themselves bigger. Like animals." he said. Carlos looked at him, confused. "Your wings."

Carlos's wings were expanded up- the tips almost connecting over his head, making Carlos appear to be twelve feet tall.

"So we have animalistic instincts." Kendall nodded. "Good to know."

"What did you bring me?" Carlos asked excitedly, noting the bagfull of food, as he folded up his wings again.

"I got you a few corndogs- they had em made and three for two bucks." Kendall said, rifling through the bag. "And Gatorade's. Chips. Some jerky."

"FUCK yes!" Carlos squealed, stuffing a corn dog in his mouth.

"You're a potty mouth."

"Yeah."

The sat on the blanket, Kendall eating Cheetos and Carlos eating a combination of Cheetos and corndogs.

"How'd you get this stuff?" Carlos questioned.

"I flirted it up with the cashier chick." Kendall shrugged. "It seems as though I'm a catch. And yet, I haven't interacted with a chick- EVER. Not one my age anyway."

"Hm." Carlos tossed his garbage aside and laid back. "Thanks."

"Gotta take care of my bro." Kendall shrugged, doing the same. "What's the Blaire Witch?"

"It's a witch that lives in the woods who makes people go into her house and face the wall as she brutally murders their friends." Carlos shivered.

"Oh- yeah, I saw her on my way here." Kendall said with a wave. Carlos gave him a horrified look. "I'm KIDDING. There's nobody here."

"I'm still freaked out." Carlos said, shivering. Kendall sighed and expanded a wing, rolling over and lay it over Carlos. Carlos gave him a confused look when Kendall wrapped his arms around his brother.

"It's not GAY. We're brothers." Kendall implored. "And as a big brother, I'll protect you from the Blaire Witch."

Carlos decided that if it wasn't weird for Kendall, it wasn't weird for him. After all, they WERE brothers. Maybe not for real, but they considered it that way. Kendall knew best. That's the way it would always be.

"Thanks." Carlos finally said.

"You believe me? That right here is the safest place for you?"

"Of course. I know you'll keep me safe."

"Always." Kendall said strongly.

* * *

**So I'm used to writing gay stuff. So SORRY if that last part was a little gay. It wasn't supposed to be- it was SUPPOSED to show how protective Kendall was of Carlos- going to steal food for him and "keeping him safe from the Blaire Witch". It's supposed to show how strong their bond was.**

**So yeah. Thanks for all the reviews on the first chapter! :D Keep it up- I LOOVE reviews. :)**

**And don't worry. There'll be conflict and butt-kicking and bad guys. Hang in there!**

**REVIEEEW!**


	3. A Visit From Vincent

**Oh my gosh guys! I'm so glad you guys like this- I thought everyone would think it was weird and not read. :D Thanks for all the reviews!**

* * *

Logan crept into James's room, shaking him awake, envelope in hand and duffle bag on his shoulder.

"C'mon. We need to go." Logan whispered. James grumbled and got up, sleepily following Logan to the kitchen, where the envelope full of money and the note was laid on the table.

"You okay?" James whispered as Logan hesitated, staring at the note on the table.

"Let's just go." Logan whispered, pushing past James and quietly opening the door.

* * *

"Kendall! Kendall! I heard something." Carlos whispered in a panic, shaking his brother awake. Kendall looked at him, confused. "There's something there." Carlos whispered, dark eyes full of terror.

"Carlos! It's just a squirrel. Go to sleep." Kendall grumbled. It was early- the sun was just rising.

"No! It's a person. It's the Blair fucking Witch." Carlos shrieked. Kendall was about to reprimand his brother again, but that's when he heard it, too. It wasn't a squirrel. It was something big- coming toward them. He sat up, staring at the place, Carlos hiding behind him, peaking over his shoulder.

"WHO'S THERE?" Kendall called, reaching back to put a protective hand on thigh. "I'LL KICK YOUR ASS FOR SCARING MY BROTHER!"

"It's the Blair Witch." Carlos repeated in a shaky whisper.

"Shhh." Kendall shushed, listening, watching. Suddenly a man showed up. A familiar looking man...

Kendall bolted up, feeling Carlos stand behind him.

"Brother? I gotta talk to Jennifer about this." the man said seriously. Kendall's stomach dropped in realization and the man saw it. "Hi, son. Long time no see."

"Son?" Carlos questioned. The man stepped forward, Kendall's wings shooting up the way Carlos's had, Kendall backing up against Carlos, reaching back to grip his brother's wrists.

"Back the fuck up, Vincent." Kendall growled. The man's brows shot up.

"Such a way to speak to your father."

"You're NOT my father. Not anymore." Kendall spat. Carlos stepped out from behind Kendall, standing between the two and looking back and forth.

"I can see it." he noted. "You look a lot alike."

"Carlos! Get BACK here." Kendall hissed. But it was too late- Carlos's wrist was caught and the boy was jerked in Vincent's direction, the man's forearm pressed firmly to his throat. Carlos's hands gripped the arm that threatened to choke him, panicked.

"Vincent! No!" Kendall growled, wings snapping back to press against his back. "Let him go."

"I have to talk to you first." Vincent sneered.

"Vincent, I swear to God. If you hurt him, I'll rip your head off." Kendall growled, watching Carlos's fearful eyes on his.

"I won't hurt him unless you try anything stupid, son." Vincent said. "Now. I have a proposal."

"So propose."

"There's been reports of a bird boy in Saint Louis named Logan Mitchell, and a spotting of another one in a town nearby, name unknown." Vincent said.

"Okay?"

"I want you to find them. Both of them. And take them to California."

"Why?"

"That's where I transferred to. And we'd LOVE to have these boys in that lab."

"And what if I don't?"

Suddenly Vincent's hand came out from behind Carlos with an eppy-pin type thing. He stabbed it hard into Carlos's ribcage, Carlos screaming out in pain.

"NO!" Kendall growled, advancing toward the two. Vincent dropped the thing and held out a hand.

"You'll wanna hear what I have to say." he said.

Kendall stopped, fists clenched.

"Today is May 14th." Vincent said simply. "If, by July 14th, those two boys aren't in California, I'll blow your little friend here to pieces."

Kendall was silent, heart pounding.

"I injected a tiny, yet powerful, bomb beneath his ribs. And it'll blow on July 14th, unless I defuse it and I'll be happy to remove it. And if those two bird boys are in my custody by that date, your friend will be safe. But if not, say goodbye."

Tears were streaming down Carlos's cheeks, both in pain and fear.

"That's two months to find them and take them to California." Vincent said, pushing Carlos toward Kendall. Kendall hugged his brother close, Carlos burying his face in Kendall's shirt. Vincent tossed a map at them.

"The lab's marked. Do with that information what you will, son. I'll see you around."

"Wait! Where're Mom and Katie?" Kendall called. Vincent turned and smirked.

"They're in California- living with me. Dumb fucks still think you died in a fishing accident."

* * *

"Thanks for the clothes and the shoes." James said sleepily as they flew over the Arch. Logan watched it go by beneath them, knowing it was the last time he would see it.

"No problem." he said absently.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" James asked. "You seem distant."

"I'm sure about it. Doesn't mean it doesn't make me sad to be leaving behind the place where I grew up."

"Yeah. It was hard for me, too. But it'll be fun. I swear."

After about twenty minutes Logan sighed.

"Wanna grab a bite?" he asked. "I have a credit card."

"Are you serious? You're the best travel buddy ever." James said in ecstasy. They banked in front of a little diner, which was only occupied by truck drivers at such an early hour. It was only six am.

"Uh- I'll have a stack of chocolate-chip pancakes and two eggs- over easy with hash browns and bacon. Oh- and some orange juice." James said when the waitress appeared. She raised her brows, scribbling it all down. "Sorry- I gotta eat!"

"I'll have the same with black coffee, please." Logan said emotionlessly. The waitress nodded and hurried away.

"I'm sorry if this ends up being expensive." James said apologetically. "I'll pay you back sometime."

"Don't worry about it- mine'll be bad, too." Logan said, tearing open a packet of sugar and pouring it on the table between them. He absently ran his finger through it.

"How do you have a credit card?"

"I used to have a job stacking boxes at a grocery store- behind the scenes. Saved up for years. But I guess I got sick of it and quit a while ago." Logan shrugged. "I have a thousand or so."

"Wow." James nodded. "Hardcore."

"I guess. I'm fucking STARVING." Logan said impatiently.

"Amen."

The coffee and OJ came first, Logan taking a swig of his coffee without adding anything or even blowing on it.

"You're just a hardcore guy, aren't you?" James observed.

"Or maybe you're just a pussy."

James laughed and this and shook his head.

"I'm secretly a badass." James shrugged. "I made it three states without shoes, you know."

"Yeah- what ever happened to your shoes?" Logan asked looking up from the sugar on the table. James laughed and went into this deep story, the main idea being that he left his shoes outside of a Wal-Mart in New York, the first day he was alone. The story left Logan chuckling.

"You have dimples! That's adorable." James giggled as the food arrived- two waitresses having to carry the plates.

"Yeah, yeah." Logan said, rolling his eyes.

"I happen to LOVE dimples." James said over a mouthful of pancakes. Logan shifted uncomfortably at the statement. "So, question. Are YOU attracted to girls? I mean, not that I'm attracted to GUYS, but I feel like I should be drawn to girls more."

"Nope." Logan said, neatly cutting up his pancakes. "It's cause of the lack of human hormones. I mean- I dunno about you, but I can't produce sperm. I mean- we have ENOUGH human hormones. To lower our voices and grow hair on our chins and stuff, but we're not attracted to chicks cause we aren't the usual horny teen boy."

"How do you know all this?"

"I used to go to some lab for research. That's what I meant when I said that my mom sold me to science. And they did a shitload of tests. That's how I know."

"But I mean- I don't look at a bird and think 'man, what a piece of ass!' either." James said.

"Yeah." Logan shrugged. "I guess we're not attracted to anything."

"I dunno- you're pretty sexy." James said, wiggling his brows. Logan rolled his eyes. "I'm sexy too, right?"

"Says the guy with syrup dripping down his chin, mouth full of chewed up pancake mush."

James giggled and wiped his chin.

"I'm kidding. By the way." he said. "Not that you're NOT sexy. But it's not like I'm gonna rape you in the midst of the night."

"Eat your damn food." Logan laughed.

* * *

"Oh my god- Oh my GOD." Carlos squeaked in a panic, clutching his ribs.

"Carlos! Calm the hell down." Kendall said, unwrapping Carlos's arms from his ribs and lifting his t-shirt to inspect the hole. It was actually quite a big hole- about the size of the end of a pin, and was bleeding.

"Damn."

"YEAH! HURT LIKE FUCKING SHIT!" Carlos whined. "Kendall! I have a BOMB in me."

"It'll be fine." Kendall assured. "We'll find those guys."

"But I don't wanna take them to a LAB! What if they trap US and keep US?"

"Would you rather blow up?" Kendall snapped. "We have no choice. So let's go- to Missouri. Ready?"

"Kendall? I'm scared. What if your dad chooses to be a dick and blow me up ahead of schedule?"

Kendall sighed and hugged and shaking Carlos.

"I told you. If you die, I die. Brothers forever." Kendall said. "But neither of us are dying. We're gonna find those guys and take them to California. Then we're gonna find my mom and tell her everything. She'll divorce Vincent. We'll be a happy family."

Kendall knew that there was a possibility that Vincent was lying about his mom and Katie being in Minnesota. But they had no time to go find them now. No time to waste. There was also the possibility that once the guys were found (if they even existed) Kendall and Carlos would be trapped at the lab themselves. The possibility that Vincent decided to be a dick and blow Carlos up for fun. But he didn't have the heart to say all this to his shaking brother.

"C'mon, Los." he said softly, stepping back and slinging the one-strap backpack over his back- the pack part on his stomach. "We got people to find- places to be."

Carlos sniffled and followed Kendall, who was already in the air.

* * *

"You're SURE you know where we're going?" Logan asked, following James in the air, stomach full.

"Yeah- no sweat. We'll be in Kansas by tomorrow night." James yelled over the wind. Logan wasn't so sure, but then again he had no idea where they were or which way they should be going.

* * *

**And so the conflict begins. Fun fact: I've never ACTUALLY written a story with an actual plot. It's gonna be good.**


	4. Nebraska Gas Station

**Guys! Why didn't anyone say anything about me saying "ears of a hawk" in the first chapter?! Mother of God. Okay. Moving on.**

* * *

"God DAMMIT. We're never gonna find these guys." Kendall screamed, whirling around to slam in palm into a building. "We've been looking for a god-damn WEEK. Carlos, we're in FUCKING Nebraska."

Hearing Kendall blow up like this- lose hope- only made Carlos more afraid for his life. The hole in his ribs was mostly healed now. They had asked five people in Nebraska- just letting the last go on with their lives- none of them seeing the boys.

Yes, they spent a week looking for these guys. The two were relieved to hear that someone in Saint Louis had seen TWO bird-boys flying together- which meant that Kendall and Carlos didn't have to look for two boys, but one, knowing the other would be with him. They went to Missouri and Kansas, tracking these guys by asking around, locals pointing them in the right direction. And finally they lost them, getting to Nebraska; nobody had seen either one of them.

"A whole WEEK- gone to SHIT, Carlos!" Kendall raged. "How in the HELL are we supposed to find these guys?"

"Kendall!" Carlos cried. "Shut up! You're scaring me!"

Kendall sighed and leaned his forehead on the building. It was night time.

"I'm not giving up, Los." he said calmly. "You're my brother. I'll never give up."

Carlos nodded and looked up at the stars.

"Think God loves mutants?" he asked.

"God loves everyone, Los. C'mon- let's go find a gas station to bum some food from." Kendall said gently, taking off in the air.

* * *

"Hi there, Sweetheart." James winked, leaning on the counter of the gas station. He had learned that he was actually quite a catch, able to charm girls into anything- even giving him free stuff. "What state are we in?"

The girl leaned on the counter, mesmerized.

"Nebraska." she said dreamily.

"DAMMIT!" James exploded, a powerful fist coming down on the counter. The girl jumped and backed away slowly. He was glad that Logan was in the back of the store, finding food, and didn't hear the girl prove him right and James wrong. Logan kept insisting that they were going the wrong way, but James told him he knew exactly where they were going. It wasn't too bad, though. They were going for Kansas, but ended up a state above there in Nebraska. It took them a week because they were in no rush at all. They took their time with everything.

"TOLD YOU." Logan called from the back. Something James hated about his travel buddy: he saw and heard EVERYTHING.

James took a deep breath and stole away, outside, frustrated, passing two guys on his way out.

* * *

Kendall and Carlos split up once inside the gas station- Carlos going straight to the back for the beef jerky, Kendall going for drinks.

"Hey, man." Carlos said cheerfully to the raven haired boy with an armful of Chex-Mix and chips, a duffle bag over his shoulder. The guy merely looked over and nodded before turning away.

Carlos watched him go a few steps before turning back to the jerky, having to do a double take when something caught his eye... Huge black wings on the guy's back.

"Hey! You!" Carlos said quickly, lunging forward to jerk the guy back. The guy struggled from his grip, looking angry, but Carlos took his hand and started shaking it quickly.

"My name's Carlos. What's your name?" Carlos pressed.

"Get the hell away from me!"

"And my buddy over there- he's Kendall. WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

"Yeah! My name's Carlos."

"I get that." the guy rolled his eyes. "I'm Logan."

"Logan... Mitchell?" Carlos egged. The guy jerked his hand away, looking creeped out.

"YES! IT'S YOU!" Carlos squealed throwing his arms around the guy. "I'm not gonna die! KENDALL I'M NOT GONNA DIE!"

"Get the hell away!" Logan growled, shoving Carlos away, into a taller, blonde guy. The Latino whirled around.

"Kendall! It's the Logan guy! Look! Look at his wings!" Carlos beamed, Logan staring at Carlos's big white wings before his dark eyes darted up to Kendall's. With that, he dashed away, dropping the food and out the door.

"NO!" Kendall yelled, running after him, dropping the drinks.

Logan snagged James's hand on the way down the sidewalk, James protesting.

"Slow down!" James complained. "What-"

His other hand was caught and suddenly he was yanked the other way, feeling like he was being torn in half.

"WHAT'RE THE FUCKING ODDS?" Kendall said happily, jerking the taller boy to him to inspect him.

"Let em go!" Logan said defensively, but his own arm was grabbed and he was stunned to see the Latino at his side. "What the hell is this?" Logan growled.

"We've been flying around all WEEK to find you guys!" Carlos squealed, hugging Logan again, Logan going stiff.

"Why?" James asked, allowing the blonde to stare at him in awe.

"Oh, cause Kendall's dad said-"

"My dad said that you guys lived in Saint Louis and that we should try to find you." Kendall interrupted quickly. Carlos gave him a confused look, still pressed up against Logan. "Cause we're like you guys."

"Well we're not interested." Logan said with finality, prying Carlos off of him to make his way past James.

"Hey! You guys wanna come to California with us?" James was already asking cheerfully.

"THAT'S SO PERFECT! GOD DOES LOVE MUTANTS! I'M NOT GONNA DIE!" Carlos yelled in excitement. Kendall stepped over to put an arm over Carlos's shoulders.

"We'd love to come to California with you." Kendall said proudly. Logan punched James- hard- in the arm, James rubbing it.

"You can't come with us." Logan growled.

"Actually, we're going to California, too." Kendall said smoothly. "We just escaped from a lab in Wisconsin and-"

"I thought you said you talked to your dad..." Logan cut in, eyes squinted.

"I did- I- I called him. Him and my mom and my little sister live in California, so me and Carlos here are going to live with them." Kendall said.

"Are you guys gay together or something?" Logan asked, James punching him in the shoulder.

"No!" Carlos squeaked. "We're brothers! That's incest!"

"Brothers? A Mexican and a blonde BROTHERS?" James asked, unconvinced.

"Okay, I'm NOT Mexican." Carlos cut in. "I'm a perfect mixture of Spanish and Venezuelan."

"And he doesn't mean literally brothers. But we take care of each other. We're not gay together." Kendall assured. "Are YOU guys?"

James giggled and Logan rolled his eyes.

"No." James answered. "We barely even know each other."

"So... Are we going to Cali?" Carlos asked excitedly.

"Hell YES we are." James said happily, Logan raging and dragging him aside.

"We can't go with them. They're sketchy."

"So? We'll end up running into each other anyway! We're going to the same place." James whined. "Besides, since when do you care about going on long trips with sketchy people who you just met."

Logan sighed and shook his head.

"The short one's too handsy." he said.

"So?" James laughed. "Enjoy it."

"That's creepy." Logan said flatly.

"They're NICE." James said. "I've got your back, I HOPE you have mine. If they try to kill us in our sleep, we'll ditch em. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I could get raped by a Mexican."

"Hey! He said he's not Mexican."

Logan rolled his eyes.

"I'm the leader here and I say we go with them." James said.

"YOU'RE the leader?" Logan challenged. "I don't think you can have that roll anymore, now that you lead me the wrong way."

"Please, Logan?"

Logan sighed and glanced at the other guys, just twenty feet away.

"You've got my back?" Logan asked, looking back up to James.

"Of course." James said. "You have mine?"

"Yeah." Logan nodded. "So... I guess we go with them."

James grinned and pulled Logan back to the other two.

"Okay." James nodded. "Let's go."

"YES!" Carlos wooped, hugging James tightly, then Logan. "I'm not gonna die!"

"Why does he keep saying that?" James asked as they began walking. He was next to Kendall.

"He's weird." Kendall said simply. "I'm sorry- I didn't catch your name."

"James." James said charmingly. He had no idea why he was using his girl charm on Kendall, but it came naturally with this guy. He found himself drawn to Kendall- not just his looks, but his all around atmosphere. Maybe bird-boys are meant to be with other bird-boys. But then that made no sense, since he and Logan felt nothing toward each other and Kendall and Carlos had nothing romantic going on. "James Diamond."

"Hm. And your boyfriend's name?"

"Logan." James said. "And he's WAY not my boyfriend. Not my type. I mean- not that I haven't tried."

"Seriously?"

"It was a joke!" James said reassuringly.

"We should probably get to a rooftop or something." Kendall said, making to run and take flight, when James caught his hand, jerking his own back.

"Did you shock me?" James asked, cradling his hand.

"No! Did you shock ME?"

"Must be our electrical chemistry." James said smoothly.

"Are you gay? It's a good thing to know if you are." Kendall asked.

"I'm James." James shrugged. "Anyway, Logan and I have a hotel room- just down the road a little."

"Not your boyfriend, eh?" Kendall snorted.

"We sleep in separate beds and change clothes in the bathroom." James argued.

"Okay, STOP with the touching." Logan said, pushing Carlos away when he realized the significance of what was happening and tried hugging the boy again.

"Kendall never complains when I touch him." Carlos pouted, making Logan actually feel a little pity for him.

"That's cause you're brothers and it's okay. But we're STRANGERS." Logan insisted. "You don't even know me."

"Are you and James besties?" Carlos asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"Cause we're not." Logan said with finality. "We're way too different."

"But you're friends, right?"

"I guess." Logan gave in, trying to get the boy to shut up.

* * *

"There's only two beds and I'm NOT paying for two strangers to get their own room." Logan said as they entered the room. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was clean and comfortable, with a TV.

"No worries. Kendall and I will bunk together." James said cheerfully as he wrapped an arm around Kendall, turning to him. "We can spoon."

Kendall laughed and shrugged James off of him. He wasn't pushing James away- he liked the flirting. He had NEVER been given this kind of attention, and he hadn't completely grasped the concept that boys were supposed to flirt with girls, not boys with boys. Hey- he had never actually lived out in the real world. Only knew what "gay" was when Carlos explained it.

"Sorry, Carlos is my bunkmate." Kendall said.

"Okay, I'm gonna sleep on the floor." Logan said, not wanting to risk James cuddling with him in the midst of the night.

"C'mon, man!" James giggled. "We can cuddle."

"Zero boundaries." Logan grumbled.

"Okay, WELL, I'm gonna take a shower. Which I haven't done for more than a week." Kendall said. "I'm gross. Carlos, you need one, too."

"I'm tired, though." Carlos whined.

"Then you go first, then you can go to sleep." Kendall nodded, herding Carlos to the bathroom.

After both were showered, they settled into the bed on the right. They didn't cuddle, because there was no danger and Carlos wasn't afraid, but both were extremely relieved to be in a bed- no matter how lumpy it was. Logan slept on the floor between the beds, James in the bed on the left, leaving the offer for Kendall to come over any time open.

Kendall couldn't sleep for a while, thinking about their main goal. Getting Logan and James to the lab to save Carlos's life. He knew he couldn't allow Carlos to get too attached to the two- Carlos was extremely friendly and already seemed comfortable with even the dark and dangerous Logan. And Kendall knew he couldn't get attached to them, either. And should probably get James out of his bubble, or else it would be hard for James to accept Kendall being a back-stabber and hard for Kendall to BE a back-stabber. But James WAS attractive and sweet and charming. No. Kendall couldn't take his eyes off of his goal. He made the decision not to get close to James. It could only end badly.

* * *

**Okay. So the ball is rolling! Yay! Like it? I loved writing it. I love this story.**


	5. Damn Nebraska Farmers

"Oh wow- look at his wings!" James gawked as Kendall took flight the next morning.

"Yeah. They're nice." Logan noted as they followed in the air. Kendall had a map, so they decided to follow him instead of James's "instinct".

"And Carlos's- he looks like an angel." James pointed out. When Logan just rolled his eyes, James pressed on. "Why don't you like him?"

"It's not that I don't like him. I just don't like how touchy-feely he is."

"Or maybe you love it."

Logan rolled his eyes and rose up to fly about twenty feet above the rest. He wasn't used to hanging out with people his age, especially not for this long. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. But right now, he just needed some space.

Kendall glanced back to see Logan rise up above them. James pouted and sped up to fly beside Kendall. They couldn't be too close because is they were, their wings would touch and send them plummeting toward earth momentarily, so they were pretty far apart.

Kendall silently cussed. He WANTED to talk to Carlos about the situation. Tell his brother not to get close to these guys and all that, but couldn't in James's presence.

"Your wings are pretty!" James yelled over the wind. Kendall smiled, then realized that he shouldn't and dropped the smile.

"Thanks!" he grumbled, loud enough for James to hear.

"So what's the plan, Cap'm?" James asked.

"Just flying til we get tired, I guess." Kendall replied.

"HA! Tired?"

"I know, I know. But Carlos isn't used to flying and he's as heavy as a human teenager, so we have to take frequent breaks."

"I'm that heavy, too, you know! I'm just, you know- a big strong man." James winked and flexed his bicep, Kendall grinning, then looking away quickly, catching himself once again. Damn- James was gonna make this hard.

"What's up with Logan?" Carlos yelled, his voice unable to travel all the way to James. Kendall heard it, though, and passed it on, making James rise up to fly above the brothers.

"I dunno. He's weird and mysterious." James answered. "Don't think he doesn't like you guys- it's just the way he is."

Kendall and Carlos looked at each other and nodded.

"Where are we?" Logan asked, suddenly right above James, making him jump.

"Kendall? Where are we?" James asked.

"Butler, Nebraska. We'll probably be in Nebraska for the rest of the day."

"What's that?" James lowered himself to point to a place circled in red pen- the lab.

"My house." Kendall hesitated. "Well, the place where Los and I will be staying."

"Hm."

"I'm gonna go up and figure out where we're going." Kendall said, trying to gain altitude only to crash into James and lose his composure, falling. He soon caught himself and flew up, giving James the bird and a little smile as he rose up about fifty feet, observing the land and trying to figure where they should be going.

Carlos was silent, then his eyes brightened, rising up to fly beside Logan.

"Will you teach me to do cool tricks in the air?" he asked hopefully. "Kendall never did."

"Cool tricks?" Logan asked lamely, cocking a brow.

"Yeah! Like dive-bombing and doing loop-de-loops!" Carlos said.

"Yeah, Logan! Teach us!" James said. "I wanna learn."

Kendall watched from above as James and Carlos actually got Logan to smile and laugh as he taught them numerous tricks. Kendall considered bringing a stop to it, afraid that Carlos wasn't advanced enough yet, but decided James could be trusted to retrieve Carlos if anything could go wrong... No! Carlos was getting attached- forming bonds. Kendall was about to go down and tow Carlos up to his level and reprimand him when a loud noise rang through the air, just above a field of god knows what.

"What the-" Kendall began, but suddenly Carlos began plummeting to the earth, wings flapping helplessly as his mangled body twisted around. He looked like a butterfly with a broken wing, fighting for its life. But what REALLY got Kendall was Carlos falling. One black wing trying helplessly to get the boy airborne again, the other limp. Logan's limbs were scrambling for ANYTHING to hold onto, but failing.

Before Kendall knew it, his wings were pressed tight against his back, his body torpedoing through the air. He watched as James caught one of Logan's hands, the extra weight bringing him down a little before James gained his composure again.

"GET CARLOS!" James yelled in a panic. "I'VE GOT LOGAN!"

Kendall zoomed past the two as James's powerful wings finally managed to flap again. Logan was grimacing in pain, being held bridal style in James's arms.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-" Kendall whispered, watching the helpless Carlos continue to plummet toward the field. Kendall wasn't going fast enough-

Carlos's body cut through the crops, thudding on the earth. Kendall snapped out his wings just in time to keep himself from doing the same, but lightly landed beside Carlos, who was knocked unconscious.

"AH! It hurts! It hurts so bad! FUCKING FUCK!" Logan hissed as James landed and laid him down.

"You're fine. It's fine." James murmured.

"What the hell happened?" Kendall asked James, who was pacing around in a panic. Kendall was angry and confused- Carlos looked extremely dead.

"Someone shot at us." James managed.

"C'mon, Los. Get up. You're fine." Kendall pleaded.

Carlos had been hit in the shoulder, the bullet reaching him only after piercing through Logan's wing.

Suddenly there were footsteps approaching, nobody noticing the old man and woman coming toward them, the man with a gun pointed at the two uninjured boys. Kendall knelt before Carlos, James standing protectively before all of them.

"Don't shoot!" Kendall pleaded. "Please! My brother is dead."

The old woman's eyes widened and she lowered the man's gun, stepping forward.

"THEY'RE NOT CROWS, DONALD!" she screamed in horror. "THEY'RE BOYS! You killed a boy!"

She knelt before Carlos, inspecting him.

Logan laid in the background, in a ball, trying to keep from screaming in agony.

"You're fine." Kendall said to Carlos's body. "I'll take care of you."

"We're so sorry- we thought you were crows." the woman said. "Your friend isn't dead, though. His heart's still beating."

"What's wrong with that one?" the man asked grumpily, pointing to Logan.

"His wing was hit." Kendall answered.

"Y'all bring your friends up to our house." the woman said. "I'll get it taken care of. I was a nurse in 'Nam, you know."

James had to carry Carlos back, being stronger than Kendall when it came to walking, Kendall being Logan's crutch as they walked.

They were welcomed into a little farm house, Carlos laid in a bed. Logan was given a towel to press to his wound to stifle the bleeding until he could be cared for. They were all shooed out of Carlos's room as the woman removed the bullet from his shoulder and stitched him up, checking for broken bones and all that.

"Hey- he'll be okay." James said in the living room of the tiny house, an arm over Kendall's shoulder. "He's Carlos! I don't know him so well, but I DO know that he's a tough cookie."

"Yeah. He is." Kendall said. "But I- I thought he was dead." The tears finally flowed out, making James's other arm wrap around him in a hug. Logan stood by, watching.

"We all did." James said. "But the most important thing is that he's ALIVE. And so is Logan. And it's lucky that that lady was so nice and took us in- Carlos may have died if she didn't."

"It's weird that they didn't even QUESTION the wings." Logan piped up, making James look back at where he was standing in the corner of the room, Kendall looking up and wiping his eyes.

"It IS weird." James nodded. "What if you and Carlos were switched? What if YOU fell like that? Your bones would break like glass."

"I would NOT have survived that." Logan nodded. "I guess it's lucky it WAS Carlos instead of me."

Kendall jumped up, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"LUCKY that Carlos got shot?" he growled.

"Well yeah. Instead of me. My bones are hollow- they woulda ALL broken." Logan shrugged.

"Like Carlos is DISPENSABLE or something?"

"Well yeah. In this case-"

"Are you FUCKING kidding me? That's my BROTHER in there who might not even live through the day!" Kendall squeaked. "He doesn't have super bird healing powers like you do! He's a fucking HUMAN with WINGS stitched on his back! It's WAY possible he's not gonna live through this. And then what reason is there to go to California?"

"What?" Logan asked, confused.

"GOD FUUUU-" Kendall growled, gripping his hair in frustration. "If Carlos dies, I'm not even kidding! I'll turn the gun on myself! Cause that was the promise- if one of us goes, we both go! Brothers forever!"

"Kendall, don't talk like that." James said soothingly. "Besides, Carlos isn't gonna DIE. He'll be fine. Awake and smiling by tomorrow."

"And what if he isn't?" Kendall asked, still angry.

"He will be." James said gently.

"If I had reacted faster... I coulda caught him." Kendall said gently, looking away.

"I shoulda gone for Carlos. Logan's lighter- was gonna fall slower. Plus Carlos was hurt worse. I'm sorry, Kendall." James said softly. Kendall looked into James's hazel eyes and the amount of sincere sorrow and regret made Kendall furrow his brows. This guy- he was intense in everything.

"Let's just- sit down and wait." Kendall sighed, plopping down on the couch and staring up at the ceiling. James sat gently, hands to himself, staring the opposite way to the ground. Logan sat down in a rocking chair, bloody towel in hand. The hold through his wing was still dripping, but not near as much. Besides, the towel was too wet to do any good.

"You boys want some grub?" the old man asked, entering the room. He seemed grumpy and uncaring, but they knew that his wife probably told him to ask.

"That would be amazing." James said softly, helping Kendall up, then Logan, a hand on either of their shoulders, as they followed the man to the kitchen.

The man gave them some stew that apparently the old couple had had for dinner the night before. There was an entire pot of it left, which the three of them devoured- saving some for Carlos.

"Sir?" Logan finally asked, allowing his spoon to clink against his empty bowl and turning to face the man against the wall. "We're bird kids."

"I gathered that." the man said, brows furrowed.

"You don't think that's... Weird?" James asked carefully.

"Ain't nothin' s'prises me anymore." the man shrugged. "Hell, Luella and I are just glad to see PEOPLE. Ain't seen much a nobody for a while- even you mutant kids 'r a blessin."

"What's your name?" James asked.

"Jed."

"And your wife's Luella?"

"Mm-hm." the man nodded. "We met in 'Nam. I 's a soldier, she 's a nurse. Damn good 'n at that. She'll take care a y'r friend, don't worry about 'im."

James sensed Kendall relax a little- the blonde had been on edge since they arrived. Like he was going to cry or kill someone with the tiniest of pushes.

"'N as fur you, dark fella-" he gestured to Logan, who gave the other boys a "the hell is he talking about?" look. "Go'n havta take care a y'r wing for you go inta shock."

"Oh. Yeah. That'd be good." Logan said sarcastically. As if on cue, the old woman, Luella, appeared.

"I think he'll be fine, boys." she smiled. "You can go in and see him, but don't touch."

Kendall jumped up, James following him to the bedroom, but the woman took Logan into another room to take care of him.

As soon as Kendall's eyes laid on his brother in the bed, he whirled around, crashing into James, but just staying there. James stared at Carlos in shock, hugging Kendall absently.

Carlos was asleep, beneath the bloodstained blankets. He looked pale, cheeks a little hollow, and his shirt had been removed. White bandages, stained with blood, wrapped tightly around his chest and shoulder, the boy's wings spread out- left on propped up on a nightstand, right one's tip out the window for lack of space. This was done both for the comfort of the patient and so that blood could flow easily.

"He's fine." James said gently, Kendall's cheek on his shoulder. "The lady said so herself."

His eyes swept over a table in the corner of the room. Bloody tools and a bloody bullet were on it, making James grimace and look away.

At the point of this embrace, James had forgotten all about his flirtatious intentions with the blonde. He just wanted to be there for Kendall, because he knew Logan sure as hell wouldn't be. Kendall, too had forgotten about things. About his vow not to let James get too close. Kendall was used to having a crutch, but his crutch was currently dying in a bed. So it felt good to have someone to comfort him. Felt good to be held like this- by someone bigger than him, so that he could be encased in James's sympathy.

"Look- I know it's scary to see him this way." James murmured. "But he'll be okay."

"He's dying." Kendall sniffled, making both of them realize that he was crying.

"He's not DYING. Look- she got the bullet outta him. Got em all stitched up and bandaged." James reassured. "You said you came from a lab? He's been through worse. Right?"

"I guess."

"I mean, you said he's just a human boy with wings stitched on." James said, sounding that Kendall was unconvinced. "He made it through that. And that required doing serious surgery on his spine and nervous system."

"He WAS up and going the very next day." Kendall admitted.

"See? This is nothing." James said, giving Kendall a squeeze. Kendall sniffled and pulled from James's embrace, turning around to examine his brother.

"He's gonna love the scar." Kendall laughed sadly. "I could hear him now. 'See this scar here? I got shot.'"

James laughed and patted Kendall's shoulder as he went to look out the window at the field outside.

It terrified Kendall when he noticed how rugged his brother's breaths were. He should have oxygen hooked up under his nose. An I.V. A heart monitor. He SHOULD be in a hospital. But they couldn't go to a hospital- who KNOWS what would happen when they saw this? But he couldn't let Carlos die. Is his brother got too bad, he'd find a hospital...

_I'm not gonna let you die, Carlos. I won't give up._

Kendall recalled repeating this several times during their search for Logan and James. That was about the bomb in Carlos's ribs...

Bomb?

Kendall looked up, opening his mouth to talk to James, but was startled. James was standing before the open window, the sun illuminating him, the cool breeze rustling his short hair a little. James's face just looked so noble and beautiful as he stared out at the field outside. But suddenly he turned his face to look at Kendall, looking surprised himself.

"Were you staring at me?" he asked, cocking a brow. Kendall felt himself blush before getting back to business.

"Maybe a little." he finally said, completely forgetting about what he was originally going to talk to the boy about. "You know... It'd be WAAAY easier on everyone if you weren't... You."

James shrugged and smiled.

"Sorry." he grinned.


	6. Waking Up

**Okay, so I realize how poorly written the last chapter was. I wrote stuff, then took stuff out, and Logan was originally in Carlos's place, but I changed it, so there was some crazy stuff. Needless to say, I'm too impatient to edit my stuff, so that's what's going on. Sorry. But thanks for not saying anything about it! You guys are so nice. :D**

* * *

James had to beg Kendall not to sleep on the wooden floor of Carlos' bedroom. Kendall was in even more of a panic after Luella had told him that it was possible that Carlos's back was broken- he may even be paralyzed. He would probably have other broken bones, too, but she obviously didn't have an X-ray machine. She also said that he must have hit his head pretty hard and may even slip into a coma. So Kendall got extremely scared and panicky- afraid that his brother either wouldn't wake up or would be paralyzed forever.

"C'mon, Kendall. You can room with me." James said, leading Kendall up some stairs and into a double room. Logan was glad to have his own room and own bed once again.

The whole night, James just wanted to sit on the edge of Kendall's bed and pet his hair, sing him a song, ANYTHING to soothe him to sleep. He would randomly start crying in the night, making neither he or James lose lots of sleep. Sometimes Kendall would even try to go into Carlos's room downstairs, which was okay until the third time, when James put him back in his bed and even laid with him. Kendall only woke up a few more times, but James was able to easily shush him and roll over from his position on his back to rub Kendall's shoulder.

* * *

It wasn't until the next afternoon that Carlos woke up.

Logan, of all people, was sitting beside his bed. It was the first time that he had done it, yet his "luck" made that time be the time that Carlos woke up. Logan was in a chair, just staring.

He felt bad that this happened to Carlos. From what he could tell, the Latino was a nice guy- would never hurt anyone. He didn't deserve this. Logan had learned long ago that all the nice people are the ones that have horrible stuff happen to them. It's just how the world worked- it was fucked up, yes, but just how it was.

Logan was just looking at Carlos. Those huge, glorious, perfectly white wings were stretched out and laid about. His dark skin was pale, but still beautiful. His pink lips weren't smiling like usual, but were completely relaxed and calm. The boy's head was supported on his left cheek, making his face toward Logan. Logan couldn't get past how- BEAUTIFUL- this boy was. Just beautiful- that's it. An angel if Logan ever saw one. Logan had never seen a GIRL this beautiful, but then again, he wasn't attracted to girls. But he wasn't attracted to BOYS, either.

He sighed in frustration.

_He's not beautiful like THAT. He's beautiful like- a waterfall or a rainbow. Just good to look at- you don't wanna look away._

Suddenly those pink lips twitched, followed by those almost-black eyes fluttering open. Logan jumped, going pale. Damn. Just his luck.

Carlos was having a hard time focusing his eyes. But he saw someone there, looking at him. It wasn't Kendall- the person's hair was too dark. What the hell- his shoulder hurt like firey fuck.

Carlos groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them, able to focus on the figure. It was... Logan?

"Uh- hey." Logan said awkwardly, glancing behind him to see if anyone was gonna come rescue him, seeing nobody.

Carlos tried to speak, but found that his mouth was too dry.

"Oh, eh-" Logan jumped, quickly moving to pick up the cup of water with a bendy straw in it. "Water."

Carlos opened his mouth a little, Logan awkwardly putting the straw in it, Carlos gulping down the entire cup before letting go of it with a groan.

"What the hell happened?" Carlos asked. "I feel like shit."

Logan hesitated, wondering if he should go get Kendall, but those big black eyes were on HIM for answers.

"You got shot." Logan answered. "When we were doing tricks in the air."

"Wassa matter with your wing?" Carlos asked. Logan looked back at his wing, expanding it a little for Carlos to see the bandage.

"It's got a hole through it. The bullet went through my wing into your shoulder." Logan explained.

"That's hardcore shit. Does it hurt?" Carlos asked with an attempt to smile.

"You're asking ME if I hurt? What about you?"

"I hurt like hell." Carlos nodded. "I'm really sorry that happened to you, though."

"Stop apologizing to ME." Logan said, looking down bashfully. "You're the one who almost died."

Carlos was silent, just smirked a little.

"You and Kendall- you don't think a lot about yourselves, do you? Just other people." Logan said. Carlos smiled and nodded.

"Think I'll have a cool scar?" he asked.

"Yeah." Logan smiled, making Carlos's eyes light up.

"You have dimples." he smiled. "I love that. Kendall has dimples, you know. But not like yours- yours are cuter."

Logan blushed and cleared his throat.

"I made the dark and mysterious Logan BLUSH?" Carlos giggled. "I love it."

"Don't get used to it." Logan said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey- what're you even doing here?" Carlos suddenly asked. "Were you- STARING at me?"

Logan blushed yet again and looked away.

"I fucking LOVE this new ability to make you blush!" Carlos cackled. Suddenly there were running steps and Kendall was in the doorway.

"LOS! I knew I heard you laughing!" he said, heart pounding. James appeared behind him, waving at Carlos.

"Hey, guys." Carlos smiled. "Logan was staring at me as I slept."

Logan slapped the mattress, not wanting to hit Carlos, and got up, Kendall taking his place.

"Staring at him, eh?" James smirked as Logan took his place against the wall.

"Shut the hell up." Logan growled, good spirits ruined. James just giggled and walked up to Kendall's chair, leaning on it.

"Can you move your legs?" James asked. Kendall's eyes intensified.

"Yeah. Move your legs." he prodded. "Please."

They all looked down to the bumps that were Carlos' feet.

"I can't." Carlos said simply. Kendall's head fell into his hands, devastated.

"Oh no." he whispered.

"Hey." Carlos giggled. "I'm kidding! See?"

The bumps knocked together and wiggled a little before resting again.

"Almost dead and still joking around." Kendall grumbled. "What hurts?"

"Everything."

"What in particular?"

"My shoulder. The back of my head. My SPINE."

"What about your arms and legs?" Logan questioned. Carlos looked past Kendall and James to see Logan leaning against the wall beside the door, arms crossed, posture suggesting he didn't actually care.

"Hurts too bad to move them right now." Carlos said. "Hey- can I see the bullet?"

Kendall laughed and picked up the little bullet that had once been in his brother's shoulder. It had been washed clean, of course, but Kendall kept it because he knew Carlos would want to see it.

"Damn! Imma have a badass scar!" Carlos hooted.

"How're you so full of energy?" James asked. "You haven't eaten in a day and a half and you were SHOT in the shoulder."

"It's how he always is." Kendall shrugged.

"I've been through worse." Carlos added, making James lightly punch Kendall in the back from behind, Kendall twisting around to punch him back. "What? I wanna be in on it!" Carlos pouted. "What happened?"

"Nothing. While you were out, I was really freaked out that you were gonna die or slip into a coma or be paralyzed." Kendall explained. "And James was there for me. Told me you had been through worse and you'd make it."

"Awe- you took care of my bubby?" Carlos hooted to James. "Guess I need a new caretaker. Logan?"

Logan's dark eyes lifted to Carlos's shining ones and couldn't help but smirk a little before dropping them.

"I don't think so." he said, not harshly, but not jokingly either. Carlos pouted and turned his eyes back to Kendall.

"I wanna be part of an awesome broship." he whined.

"Oh, c'mon, Los. James and I are NOT in a 'broship'." Kendall said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah. It's more a 'secretly-in-love-ship'. Hop aboard." James giggled. Kendall rolled his eyes again, this time at James, which only Carlos saw.

"Hey- the people who live here said we can stay as long as we need, but James and I have to help out in the field. So I guess you 'n Logan get to sit around and read books together." Kendall said.

"Yeah. No TV."

"It's cool. I'd never watched TV til we went to the hotel." Kendall shrugged. "And he'll be fine without it."

"Hear that, Logie? We get to hang out ALL DAY!" Carlos said cheerfully. Logan was almost tempted to smile and nod, but decided against it. What was this kid doing to him? It was unlike Logan to smile and blush and TALK, for that matter.

"Don't call me Logie." was all he said.

"That name's reserved for his mommy. I saw it first hand." James giggled, Logan rolling his eyes.

"Kay. I'll call you Pit." Carlos said. "Cause you're just like Dark Pit."

Kendall gave him a confused look.

"You wouldn't understand. It's from a video game."

"Kid Icarus!" James jumped in.

"And Super Smash Brothers." Logan piped up.

"Yes!" Carlos hooted. "Finally. People who understand the outside world."

Kendall's face dropped.

"Sorry, buddy! I'm sorry! That was cold." Carlos apologized. "Anyway, Pit is a guy with wings in a video game. And on Super Smash Bros, you can change him to look, I kid you not, exactly like Logan. So he's Pit."

"You're more like Pit than me." Logan reminded him.

"YEAH, but I'm not a super cool badass like you." Carlos said, making Logan blush yet again. He had never been this easy to blush. Luckily, Carlos only winked, not pointing it out to the others.

"Why don't you know Pit?" James asked, poking Kendall's back.

"Long story short, my dad's an asshole and I grew up in a lab since I was four. He gave me these wings, hollowed out my bones, everything." Kendall explained.

"No way! My mom's a scientist, too! She found a way to make me actually GROW wings, but other than that, I'm human." James beamed. "We've got so much in common." he added dreamily.

"Wait- you said your dad told you about us... But if he did all that to you-" Logan began questioningly, cut off by Carlos.

"Will you guys go get me something to eat?" he said quickly, seeing that Kendall was about to get caught in a lie. "I'm starved."

Logan narrowed his eyes and Carlos as Kendall and James exited.

"Bye, Pit." Carlos smiled as he left. He hummed to himself, squeezing his eyes shut, trying not to think about the ultimate goal. To turn Logan and James in to the lab. He forgot about that. Forgot about the mission. But James and Logan were so COOL... How could he be such a traitor?

_Stop thinking about it!_

To Carlos' relief, James came back in to keep him company.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm cool." Carlos nodded.

"I dunno what you did, but Logan's different for you." James said, sitting in the chair.

"Yeah. I know." Carlos said. "I'm magic."

"Carlos... Is Kendall straight?"

"Pfft. Kendall is nothing." Carlos said. "He didn't grow up in a place where sexuality was a big thing. Didn't even know what gay was til I came along and told him. Why?"

"Are YOU straight?"

"You know, I was. I was REALLY girl-crazy. But then they slapped the wings on and screwed with my hormones, now I'm feeling weird shit, you know? Like- for the most random person, who I barely even know."

"Exactly!" James nodded excitedly. "Like, completely outta the blue, but there's no denying it. Right?"

"You're talking about Kendall, right?" Carlos questioned.

"Yeah." James said bashfully. "I mean- it's weird. But I've never been attracted to girls. Or boys, for that matter. Never been attracted to anyone. But Kendall- he's so easy-going and fun to talk to. And he doesn't shoot me down when I flirt."

"Cause he doesn't actually know that it's weird for friends to flirt. He likes the attention, cause I never gave it to him that way." Carlos said.

"Do you think... He'd give me a chance?" James asked slowly. Carlos opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly his eyes flickered to Kendall entering the room with a few grilled cheese sandwiches and some soup that Luella had left before going out to the fields with her husband. Of course Kendall would have to feed his brother himself, but that's okay.

"What're we talking about?" he asked cheerfully, sitting on the bed, making Carlos cringe.

"Video games." James said quietly.

"Who's giving who a chance at what?" Logan asked, walking in slowly. James shot him a look, like "do you HAVE to hear everything?" and turned back around.

"Kendall. Giving me a chance to play him at Super Smash Bros- ASAP." James lied.

"Seemed like a heavy mood to be talking about games." Logan said, obviously having heard the whole conversation.

"Yeah, well, we're serious about our games." James growled, shooting up and knocking over the chair.

"James!" Kendall scowled, looking up at him with a what-the-hell? look.

"I'm sorry, Kendall." James sighed, bending down to right the chair and exit the room, Logan cocking a brow at him as he did.

* * *

**So you guys know Pit, right? Gosh, he's my favorite. I don't normally like video games, but I played Super Smash Bros Brawl today and I realized how awesome he is. So anyway. :D**

**And if you're not in this for the gay-ness and more in it for the awesomeness, things are about to get a little weird for you. Sorry.**


	7. On The Road Again

**Dear bmwstamps,**

**I'm getting there. Calm down.**

**Sincerely,**

**me**

* * *

A month had passed.

Logan's wing was healed up, a scar where the hole was. Carlos was mostly healed and was able to walk around now, but not healed enough to help Kendall and James out in the field. So he and Logan sat around in the house doing nothing while James and Kendall helped transport crops to the barn and things like that.

It wasn't until the end of that month, when Kendall was laying in his bed, when he remembered.

They had less than a month to get Logan and James to the lab.

He sprang out of his bed and skittered out, not waking James. He navigated through the darkness, almost to the stairs, when a dark figure was there, blocking his path.

"What're you doing up?" Logan asked, Kendall nearly jumping out of his skin.

"How'd you know I was?"

"I hear everything. You should know this." Logan said.

"What're YOU doing up?"

"Seeing what you're doing up."

Kendall hesitated.

"I was gonna tell Carlos that we should be going tomorrow morning."

"Why him first?"

"Why so many questions?" Kendall shot back.

"Do you really think Carlos is ready to fly?" Logan asked. "He still hurts, you know. And who knows what bones are still broken?"

"Since when do YOU care about whether he's ready or not?"

Logan was silent, Kendall taking the opportunity to slip past him and down the stairs. He realized that anything he said to Carlos, Logan would hear. So he picked up a piece of paper and pencil on his way.

"Los!" Kendall whispered, turning on the bedroom light and closing the door behind him.

"Go the fuck away! I'm sleeping!" Carlos groaned.

"I think we need to leave tomorrow." Kendall said, scribbling something down on the paper. "Think you're ready?"

"Oh yeah." Carlos said casually, sitting up. "It'll hurt some, but I'm tough."

Kendall smirked as he wrote.

"What're you writing?" Carlos questioned. Kendall's eyes widened and he pressed a finger to his lips in warning.

"Just- a plan." Kendall lied. "For tomorrow."

He tossed the paper to Carlos and sat down.

_We have like three weeks to get to California and turn them in. That's not a lot of time. We're going even if I have to carry you the whole way, so be prepared. _

Carlos looked up sadly before snatching up the pencil.

_I don't want to turn them in anymore. And neither do you._

Kendall sighed as he read this, shaking his head.

_No, I don't. James is awesome and I know you and Logan are pretty close now. I never got a chance to warn you about this, then I forgot. And I know it's shitty, but I won't let you blow up. It'll be hard, but they'll understand._

_How will they understand their new friends turning them in to a life of hell?_

_Don't make this harder than it should be. Please?_

_James loves you. Like- LOVE loves you._

Kendall read this, then gave Carlos a confused look. Carlos rolled his eyes and took the paper again

_He's GAY for you, Kendall. Has been since we got here. And I have to admit, even though Logan can be dark and dangerous, I can't help but feel something there._

When Kendall read this, he got up, pacing around the room, running his fingers through his short hair.

"It can't be." he finally said aloud. "NONE of us are gay. Except apparently James."

"Well do you think girls are hot?"

Kendall rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Exactly! What if this is the way it's supposed to be?"

"I'm not even discussing this with you." Kendall said. "We have no time for petty relationships. They'll just make everything harder. I know Logan seems like hot shit to you, but if you give in, then what? You'll allow yourself to blow up for him."

"No I wouldn't."

"Besides- Logan's not like that."

"He blushes for me, Kendall! The dark and mysterious Logan BLUSHES for me."

"So what?"

"So that's gotta mean something."

"Well it doesn't. Get him outta your head, Los."

"I can't."

"You WILL." Kendall said with finality. "Goodnight."

As Kendall returned upstairs, he was surprised that Logan was nowhere in sight. Until he got into his room, where the lights were on and James was sitting on the edge of his bed, Logan on Kendall's bed, arms crossed.

"You don't know me, Kendall." he said lowly. "You don't know how I am around Carlos."

Kendall felt an angry blush coming on.

"Why would you listen in?" he squeaked. "That was private."

"What's really going on?" James asked, scooting over and allowing Kendall to sit beside him.

"The truth." Logan said. "I know there's something sketchy going on."

"If we get attached, it'll be too hard to say goodbye." Kendall said, which wasn't technically a lie.

"It's too late! Carlos is already attached to me!" Logan hissed. "Probably cause you're too much in James' ass to pay attention to him!"

"I don't want you to break his heart." Kendall growled.

"Who says I would?" Logan asked, surprising everyone by his underlying hint. "Who says I even WANT him that way?"

"He says you blush for him." Kendall said. "But you know that- eavesdropper."

"Yeah. I blush. Cause somehow he's gotten under my skin and I can't shake him." Logan said. "And I think it's funny how you didn't say ANYTHING about you and James being up each other's asses. Cause you don't want Carlos to get hurt, but you're too selfish to give up all the flirty attention James gives you."

"There's NOTHING going on between James and I! What is it with you and Los?"

James gave Kendall a hurt look before diverting his attention to his hands.

"Look- why don't we just- go to sleep?" Kendall suggested. "We've got a big day tomorrow."

Logan stood up and stormed away, closing the door and turning off the lights. Kendall sighed and climbed into his bed.

"Kendall?" James asked softly.

"Hm?"

"That really hurt my feelings." James admitted innocently. "The way you said that there was nothing going on between us. Like you don't want it."

Kendall was silent, hating himself for hurting this innocent soul.

"Cause I really do like you." James said. "And I thought I was getting through to you."

"...You did..." Kendall said.

"Really?" James asked excitedly. Kendall smirked in the darkness.

"But we can't be together." Kendall said. "Cause..."

"Cause it'll be hard to say goodbye." James finished. "But know what? It doesn't have to be goodbye."

Kendall's heart broke and he sighed.

"It's more complicated than you know."

"My mom told me that there's a match for everyone on earth. And she told me that the person for me was a mutant, so I had to be a mutant, too. That was her reasoning for turning me into what I am now. And I believed it, cause I was like five." James said softly. "So that rules out pretty much everyone. But... It doesn't matter. Cause I think I already found the person who's meant for me."

"Please don't say it's me." Kendall whispered pleadingly.

"I'm an only child- lived with just my mom for my whole life. So I always got what I wanted." James said. "And I want YOU. And I intend to get you. Cause that's the way it's meant to be."

Kendall was silent, cursing his heart for fluttering at that monologue that James just delivered.

"And I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way." James said.

"I've never 'had a crush on' anyone before." Kendall said softly. "Never. So I couldn't tell you even if I did feel the same."

"Do you remember the first day we met? When you were gonna take off and I grabbed your hand and it was like- electricity?" James asked.

"...Yeah..."

"I hear that happens when two people who have something kiss." James said. When Kendall was silent, he continued. "I know that's really forward. But I've never been romantically involved with anyone and I know you haven't either. So I'm just gonna tell you that I really like you- obviously."

"Oh."

"Night, Kendall."

"Night."

* * *

The next morning, the guys thanked Luella and Jed and took off.

"You okay, buddy?" James asked as they started flying, Carlos groaning.

"I think I cracked a disk." Carlos said. "I'll be okay, though."

"If it gets too much, I can carry you no problem." Kendall reminded his brother.

"Will you carry me?" James asked with a smirk, immediately wanting to kick himself. Kendall surprised him with a smirk in return.

"I'll be okay." Carlos said. "Pit? You doing okay?"

"I'm good." Logan nodded with a smile. Kendall wanted to punch Logan for it- why could he only smile for Carlos? Why not James? Then there would be NO problems.

Carlos sensed the tension in Kendall and gave him a look.

"Kendall." he said sternly, only Kendall able to hear over the wind. "Just let go. We can worry about it later."

Kendall sighed to himself and looked away. If only he could be like Carlos- not worry about anything. Just smile it off. He could do it. He could just follow that pull and throw himself at James, just like he knew would happen between his brother and Logan. Even though it was disturbing.

"It's not that easy." Kendall reminded him.

"But it IS." Carlos said, flustered. "If you just let go and do what you want. Live in the now- even though it's not forever."

Kendall sighed and shook his head.

"Los-"

"Kendall! Let ME be the big brother right now. I'm telling you- if you don't, you'll regret it."

"I'm worried about YOU. You'll get hurt."

"Who cares? I've been through worse, right?" he smirked, before raising himself to fly with James. Soon the two were playing and laughing in the air, making Kendall smile to himself. Logan flew behind them, apparently still pissed off about last night.

After about an hour, they stopped to rest on top of a tall building.

"You're getting better." Kendall complimented Carlos, patting him on the shoulder. "An hour- new high score."

Carlos, breathing hard, nodded and went over to sit on the edge of the building, feet dangling. Logan went to sit with him.

"You know, I used to sit on top of the Saint Louis Arch every day." Logan said. "I miss it."

"No way! I've been there!" Carlos beamed.

"I carved my initials up there. Maybe I can show you sometime." Logan smiled. Carlos fell silent, looking away, feeling like Logan had just punched him in the gut. "Carlos, will you tell me what's going on?" Logan asked seriously. "You 'n Kendall are hiding something."

"You'd hate me if I told you."

"I... I don't think I could ever hate you." Logan said gently. "We have a bond, Carlos. It's weird."

"Oh, but if you knew the secret-"

"Tell me."

Carlos hesitated. He WANTED to be honest with Logan. But if he told Logan that he and Kendall were going to take him to a lab... Logan would gather up James and they'd flee. And that would end in Carlos getting blown up.

"The truth." Logan said, observing Carlos' thinking. Carlos looked up at him, dark eyes full of pain.

"I just don't think we'll be able to see each other once we get to Cali." he said quietly. "And I'm gonna miss you."

Logan searched those almost-black eyes, but found nothing but honestly. He sighed, surprising Carlos by putting a comforting arm across Carlos' shoulders and looking out over the city again.

"I don't know why you make me blush and smile and talk so easily." Logan said, not looking at Carlos. "It's not an easy thing for people to accomplish with me. Especially not the- the TOUCHING like this."

Meanwhile, walking around in the gravel atop the building, wings spread just a little to cool down, James and Kendall were talking, too.

"I'm sorry about last night." James said seriously. "It wasn't cool of me to say all that stuff."

"Didn't bother me too much." Kendall shrugged.

"Really? It didn't? Cause that was REALLY forward."

"Well maybe I'm a forward kinda guy." Kendall shrugged. "But... James... We can't."

"Why not?" James asked, suddenly defensive.

"It's not you. TRUST me." Kendall said. "It's... You know, once we get to California, you'll be off being famous and Los and I will be with my family. We wouldn't be able to see each other."

"Do you want it?" James asked.

"Well..."

"Then take it! Take ME!" James pleaded.

"I can't, dammit!"

"Why not?!" By now, the two had stopped, facing each other, staring angrily. Kendall opened his mouth to say something, but just stormed away instead. James caught his hand.

"TALK to me!" James growled, jerking Kendall back. Kendall finally just- let go. He whirled around and slammed himself into James, arms around his torso, cheek on his shoulder. James, startled, sank into it, patting Kendall's back awkwardly. Not what he expected, but still good.

"I can't be romantically involved with you because I'll never see you again after we get to California." Kendall said gently in the embrace.

"We can make it happen." James said. "It won't be goodbye forever."

Kendall's heart shattered. Because it WOULD be goodbye forever. He was silent, though.

"Is it cause you're scared of being gay?" James asked. "Is it cause you don't like ME?"

"None of that." Kendall assured, backing out of the hug- which was quite refreshing.

"Then let go."

"I wish everyone would stop saying that to me."

"It's true. You're too uptight- just let things happen." James said gently. "You can't control everything. And I know you can't control that foreign feeling in there." He poked Kendall's chest gently. Kendall sighed and put a hand over the place that was poked. "We're bird kids, Kendall. Our hormones are crazy- we feel things like a billion times stronger than humans. It's intense."

"We need to get going." Kendall said, dropping his hand from his chest and turning away. James sighed and followed, but still feeling like he might have broken through to Kendall.

"You're frustrating as fuck, Kendall!" James called after the blonde as Kendall dropped off of the edge of the building.

"I live to torture." Kendall sneered, landing on the edge, glorious white and brown wings spread out.

"I don't know what to think of you." James said, eyes narrowed.

"Let's ride." Kendall said deviously, raising his wings above him and beating down hard to be airborne immediately.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER!" James yelled, getting a running start before leaping off the the building and flying around with Kendall, Carlos and Logan soon joining so they could continue their journey.


	8. It All Starts In The Mountains

The boys found it harder and harder to be around each other over the next two days and NOT be flirty or touchy-feely now that they all admitted to themselves that there was an unmistakable attraction. These are bird-boys we're talking about- with crazy hormones. None of them, other than Carlos, had ever been in a romantic situation like this and found it hard to control their emotions and urges.

Carlos and James ended up hitting it off- playing in the air and joking and wrestling. So Kendall decided to make up with Logan, flying with him when it got dangerous to fly with the crazy James and Carlos when limbs started flying about.

"Utah. The most boring fucking state ever to fly over." Carlos grumbled to James after one of these times.

"You're a potty mouth."

"I dunno what the fuck you're talking about." Carlos joked.

"I'm gonna go fly with your brother." James said. They were above Logan and Kendall now, which was rare. James gently glided downward to catch up to Kendall, the blonde welcoming him with a smile. Carlos pouted to himself. He hated being alone. He was still hyper and wanted to play, but there was obviously something on James' mind and he wasn't so into it. Kendall was too absorbed in James. They needed to just get together already.

Logan! Logan had been avoiding Carlos all day, but that didn't stop Carlos from folding up his wings and torpedoing to the raven haired boy.

"PIIIIIIIIT!" he called as an arm looped around Logan's waist, dragging Logan doing toward the ground with him.

"CARLOS LET GO!" Logan ordered, trying to pry Carlos from him. When that didn't work, he wrangled his wings free to parachute the two. Carlos giggled and their feel lightly touched the ground of the hot desert.

"What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt." Logan said, straightening his clothes angrily. "You coulda snapped my wings! Anything coulda happened." Carlos looked up to see that Kendall and James were making a wide loop in the air, not wanting to stop flying, but also not wanting to leave Carlos and Logan behind.

"I'm sorry!" Carlos said innocently, cowering away. "I just wanted to play."

Logan sighed when he saw the pure horror in Carlos' innocent eyes.

"C'mere." he sighed, wrapping his arms around Carlos' neck in a hug. "Sorry I yelled."

Carlos' arms flung around Logan's waist, cuddling into the slightly taller boy.

"You smell nice." he said.

"I smell like shit, I'm sure."

"Maybe I like the smell of shit. You don't know."

"You're sweet." Logan smiled to himself.

"Only to boys I like."

"You like me?"

"Opposites attract."

Logan pulled away, confused.

"You mean- LIKE like?" he asked.

"I mean- 'I wanna fuck you til you can't think straight' like." Carlos said jokingly, but serious at the same time. Logan blushed and looked away.

Carlos smiled and kissed Logan's red cheek, which was hot beneath his lips and only got hotter.

"You're gonna explode pretty soon." Carlos pointed out.

"Then stop making me blush!"

"Let's go check out that house!" Carlos said excitedly, grabbing Logan's hand and pulling him toward the nearby mountain, which they were about to go over. Logan smiled and followed. This boy REALLY had an effect on him.

* * *

"Ho-lee shit." James said, eyes wide, as they all landed on the porch of the vacation house in the mountains. It was vacant, but looked luxurious inside.

"Can we go in?" Carlos asked, poking Kendall's shoulder furiously.

"Yeah, can we?" James asked, hazel eyes as excited as Carlos'.

"We don't know when the next people will we here." Kendall said sternly.

"But there's a Wii in there!" Carlos said, nearly exploding. When his brother looked unconvinced, Carlos whirled around.

"Pit, tell Kendall-" he began, but realized Logan wasn't there.

"This window's unlocked!" Came a call from above, Carlos backing up to see Logan on the roof in front of the second floor, pulling a window open and looking down at him. "C'mon!"

They climbed into the window and explored. It was a huge luxury cabin with three bedrooms, flatscreen TV's, gaming systems, Jacuzzi bath tubs, a STOCKED fridge and cabinets, a laundry room, and a gaming room in the basement, which had air-hockey and darts.

Logan found himself grinning at how excited Carlos got at EVERYTHING. He normally got annoyed when people acted this way, but with Carlos it was adorable. James got excited about a lot of stuff, too, and made Kendall promise to play Super Smash Bros with him at some point.

"Okay- this is way too good to be true." Kendall said doubtfully, stopping James and Carlos from digging into the cabinets.

"No, I think it IS true. Listen to this." Logan said, reading from a piece of paper left on the table. "It's not dirty cause we left the rirst night here. Big fight between couples, lost number for office. Hope you figure it out by Sunday." Logan looked up. "Dated Tuesday. So their last night would be tonight, which means maintenance won't be here til tomorrow evening."

"So we get to stay here tonight?" Carlos asked, eyes glowing.

"Yeah." Logan answered before Kendall could object. James and Carlos cheered, running off to start their first fun activity after grabbing snacks.

"They're adorable." Logan beamed, Kendall shooting him a confused look. Logan looked just as surprised, throwing away the note and hurrying away to the living room, where Carlos was setting up the Wii.

They played Super Smash Bros all night, which was one of two games provided, the other being Super Mario. It turns out, Logan was fantastic at video games and beat them all most of the time, Kendall giving up halfway through because he had never played video games before and didn't like it. Logan was Pit, of course, but mostly because he had the best moves. Carlos was always Peach, which everyone laughed at until he kicked their asses. James seemed to like being Fox, and Kendall switched every time, getting flustered when none of the characters suited him.

"Okay, I'm pooped. Gonna go watch Family Guy in my room! Anyone's free to join. HINT HINT." James said, getting up after about twelve games.

"Awe, you pussy." Carlos groaned as James disappeared upstairs to find a room he liked. Kendall soon got up, too.

"Night, asshole." Carlos said, hitting his brother's butt as he passed.

"One more? Rematch?" Logan asked hopefully.

"What does the winner get?" Carlos asked. "I need a motive."

"Winner gets a kiss."

Carlos' brows shot up.

"Did you really just say that?" he asked with a laugh.

"Is that bad?"

"No- it's just... Okay." Carlos nodded. "Game on."

Carlos ended up winning, most of it being Logan discreetly letting him win. But Carlos ended up extremely happy.

"You don't have to give me a kiss, Pit." Carlos said, tossing his controller aside. "I was gonna play you anyway."

"Do I get to call you Peach now?" Logan giggled nervously, Carlos lighting up at his dimples and adorable chuckle.

"You can call me whatever you want." Carlos practically drooled. Logan blushed and looked away.

"Sugar-Ass?"

Carlos laughed at that one and got up.

"I like it." he said, turning the TV back to cable for Logan, who agreed to sleep on the couch- which was actually quite comfortable. "Buenos noches, good sir. See you tomorrow."

Logan nodded and settled onto the couch with a blanket.

_Stupid stupid STUPID. You had the perfect chance and you blew it. You coulda kissed him! He woulda been okay with it! But you're just a chicken-ass. You know that if it was YOU who won, he wouldn't even hesitate to kiss you. Since when are you this nervous? You're ridiculous. _

Logan sighed and tried to go to sleep. But the image of he and Carlos kissing just kept playing in his head. The feel of what Logan imagined Carlos' lips would feel like on his. The brightness in Carlos' eyes after they pulled away.

Finally, after twenty minutes, he had enough. He couldn't sleep until he did this. He got up and went upstairs, unsure of which door Carlos was behind.

He cracked open the first one, seeing Kendall and James leaning on the headboard of the bed, watching something on TV that sounded like Family Guy. James waved, Kendall looking embarrassed, and Logan closed the door. Well, at least he didn't walk in on something ELSE.

He went to the next room, which was empty, then FINALLY the last one. He expected Carlos to be in the last door, but the room was empty. Until he heard what sounded like a radio coming from the bathroom, which was inside the room, the door open, steam pouring out. Logan crept across the room and entered, seeing the outline of a naked Carlos through the textured glass door of the shower. And there was no radio. The music was coming from Carlos, who was singing some slow and quite beautiful song.

"Carlos?" Logan called, deciding it was better if Carlos knew he was there instead of discovering him there, looking at his naked outline and listening to him sing, thinking Logan was a creeper or something.

The outline jumped and the music silenced. A head poked out of the door, eyes wide.

"Pit! The hell?" he squeaked, Logan seeing the blur of a hand shooting to his crotch, although Logan couldn't actually see anything.

"I didn't know you were in the shower but-"

"God, Jesus fuck! Get outta here! Sit on the damn bed, I'll be out in a sec!" Carlos ordered. Logan, eyes wide, face flushed, turned and closed the door behind him, sitting on Carlos' bed.

The music started again, this time the words were made up, yet Carlos still sounded like a singer on the radio.

"Pit just walked in on me and I'm naked. But it's okaaaay! Cause I'm pretty sure he didn't see my junk!" the song had the potential to be slow and pretty, but the words just made it funny and crude. Logan was glad Carlos wasn't mad about what just happened.

* * *

Kendall had originally planned on just going to sleep after a shower. But after bathing and sitting in his bed, he heard a knock on the wall on the other side of the room. Then another one. Like Morse code. He repeated the rhythm, not knowing what it meant. After repeating this a few times, there was a yell in the next room.

"COME IN HERE AND WATCH TV WITH ME!" James yelled with a laugh, getting the message that Kendall didn't know the code.

"I have a TV!"

"But you don't have a ME!" James yelled. "C'mon!"

Kendall sighed and slipped on some boxers, as he was in a towel, and planned on dressing the rest of the way when James rushed in playfully. His eyes widened as he saw the dripping wet half-naked boy, which was unexpected.

"James!" Kendall turned away.

"I can strip down, too. If it'll make you more comfortable." James giggled. "Then maybe we can just lose the undies."

Kendall threw his wet towel at James as hard as he could and put a shirt on. They went to James's room and sat on the bed, watching TV. Soon Logan's head poked in and Kendall was quite embarrassed that he had been caught in there and knew Logan would be suspicious.

"Kendall, I'm gonna be completely honest here." James said seriously, turning the TV volume down and turning to Kendall.

"Okay."

"I can't keep my hands off of you anymore." James said casually. "It's like- I'm seriously just gonna blow up. And I get that for some reason you don't LIKE me, or whatever, but I know, unless you and Carlos got weird, you haven't kissed anyone before. And I haven't either."

"Why do you assume I don't like you?"

"Did you just miss what I just-?"

"I heard. I just don't know why you're asking me instead of just DOING it. This isn't typical James."

"Well I'm not typical James around you. You make me nervous." Kendall smiled and turned his body toward James.

"I make you- nervous?" he questioned, hand on James's knee and slowly creeping up. James jumped and got to his feet in a flash.

"No teasing." he said seriously. Kendall bit his lip as he got to his knees on the bed, equal in height with James.

"Who says I'm teasing?"

"Oh god- don't do that." James pleaded. "That 'I'm-gonna-act-like-I'm-not-interested-then-sudden ly-be-into-you' thing."

"I'm gonna tell you a secret here, Jamie. It's not sudden." Kendall winked. "So're you gonna kiss me or what?"

James' eyes widened and he swallowed hard as Kendall wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Is this a dream?"

"I'm letting go, James. Take advantage."

James slowly felt his face getting closer to Kendall's, closer, closer, until he could feel the warmth radiating from those pink lips. God- it was finally time. FINALLY time.

Just when James closed his eyes and was sure their lips should be touching, Kendall was gone. James' eyes snapped open in confusion as he watched Kendall go to the door and wiggle it, open it, and close it again.

"Yup. Door works." Kendall nodded sarcastically, obviously teasing James. James leapt from the bed, pinning Kendall to the door and mashing their lips together, hands gentle on Kendall's ribs, Kendall's hands soon on his stomach.. It was explosive- Bliss. Better than they ever explained it.

"Nineteen years old and neither of us have done that before." Kendall said, breathless, as James pulled away enough.

"We were waiting for each other." James whispered, kissing Kendall again. A few minutes of these long kisses was all that could happen. Neither of them knew HOW to "make out" and both of them planned on going to Carlos soon to ask about it.

* * *

Carlos emerged from the bathroom in a towel, newly showered.

"You're a great singer." Logan said, watching as Carlos spread his wings and shook the water from his feathers, which were almost blindingly white now. They had gotten dirty and dusty since they entered the desert.

"Thanks." Carlos said brightly. "I was in musicals in high school. What're you doing here?"

"I- uh-"

_Don't be a pussy. Now or never. _

"You better have come because you owe me a kiss." Carlos said smartly.

"I- yeah."

"Don't be scared, Pit. I won't FORCE you."

"I want it. GOD I want it." Logan said. "That's why I made the bet. Cause either way, I'd get to kiss you."

Logan got up and looked down slightly into Carlos's innocent and playful black eyes.

"Then do it." Carlos said, voice suddenly weak.

"I've never kissed anyone before." Logan said nervously.

"Really? But you're a piece of ass." Logan blushed and looked down.

"I was homeschooled."

"Right." Carlos nodded. Suddenly his arm was hooked around Logan's waist, pulling Logan to him. He kissed him gently, just for a few seconds before backing up and walking away to get clothes to change into. He was trying to keep his cool, but really he was dying inside from how awesome that was. Logan, however, was paralyzed. He wasn't even able to look over when Carlos' towel dropped for a few split seconds before boxers were pulled up.

"I- uh- I'm gonna go to- go to sleep now." Logan stammered.

"Look at you! So nervous." Carlos smirked, Logan finally able to stare at Carlos' coffee colored body, which was beautiful like the rest of him. "I'll let you touch sometime. But see, this is only our first date." Carlos giggled.

"I- yeah." Logan finally looked away, blushing, feet taking him to the door.

"Hey, Pit?"

"Hm?"

"Did you feel that, too? That crazy jolt?"

Without turning, Logan nodded.

"I got a crazy urge to slam you down on the bed and-" Logan began, then stopped.

"And what?"

"You know."

"Pit. You dog." Carlos giggled. Suddenly we was right behind Logan, making the boy jump. "Why didn't you?"

Logan turned, smirking a little.

"It was over so fast. Besides, it was only our first date." Logan mocked.

"So- next time." Carlos joked. Logan couldn't control himself as he bent down a little to kiss Carlos again. When he pulled away, Carlos was beaming.

"Night." Logan murmured.

"Night."

* * *

**Okay. SO. You guys think you know how this is gonna end.**

**You don't.**

**I came up with THE most amazing ending EVER and I'm so excited. And don't try to guess, cause you guys are smart and if you guess it I'll feel dumb. Cause people have guessed my planned endings before. It's not fun.**

**And yes. Now this is an awesome love story that I have to say, is my pride and joy. I'm not gonna go Rated M on this one, cause I know a lot of you aren't in it for the slash. But just a warning, it IS a love story. It'll be mushy sometimes.**

**So yeah. Like it? Don't like it? Too much romance? Not enough romance?**

**And who do you guys think should be the masculine and feminine? I have a pretty good idea in my head, but you guys can come up with good arguments. Let the games begin!**


	9. Never Want To Leave

**I love that you guys make sure to remind me of stuff I seem to forget about. It helps. BUT I didn't forget about the bomb. I swear.**

* * *

Logan was up early, realizing how hungry he was. When he found pancake mix, though, he decided to make breakfast for everyone. He was in a fantastic mood.

"Pancakes," came a voice of ecstasy, Logan turning to see Kendall entering the kitchen. "Wait... Logan? You're making pancakes?"

"Yeah. How many do you want?" Logan asked cheerfully. Kendall's thick brows jumped up. "Uh- three?"

"Done." Logan held out a plate of three steaming pancakes to him.

"Woah- thanks, Logan." Kendall said brightly.

He sat at the table, pouring syrup on the stack of pancakes. He was nervous for James to wake up and come downstairs. He knew he sort of made a mistake by allowing the kiss to happen the night before.

Carlos was next to come down, in his PJ's like Kendall- Logan fully clothed- only a few minutes after Kendall sat down.

To Kendall and Logan's surprise, he hugged Logan from behind, cheek on Logan's right wing. Logan turned, spatula in hand, and smiled brightly. They exchanged some words before Logan actually LAUGHED and kissed Carlos' cheek before giving him some pancakes- well, a stack of about six. The Latino smiled proudly as he turned and sat next to Kendall at the round table with a huge stack of pancakes.

"What was that?" Kendall asked with a smirk.

"I got a kiss." Carlos beamed.

"I saw." Kendall laughed. "Why?"

"Cause we're in looooove." Carlos taunted. "And last night after you and James went upstairs, Pit and I bet a kiss on the winner. I won."

"Wait, so-"

"Exactly." Carlos said coolly, cutting into his stack of pancakes and taking a huge bite. "These are delicious, Pit!" he called without looking back to Logan. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks." Kendall nodded.

James was next to appear, punching Logan happily in the shoulder as he was given a plate of pancakes, also a crazy amount.

"Good morning, my pretties." James said cheerfully, sitting at the table on Kendall's other side.

"Sleep okay?" Kendall asked.

"I slept AMAZING." James nodded. "It took a while to calm down, but after I went to sleep it was great."

"Calmed down from what?" Carlos asked, taking another bite.

"Don't be nosey, Los." Kendall warned.

James spoke, giving Kendall a confused look.

"I finally kissed your brother last night." he said. Kendall reddened and took a bite. Carlos' jaw dropped and he slid back in his chair, staring at the ceiling in shock. Kendall was sure he would reprimand them for some reason.

"THIS IS PERFECT!" he exploded, straightening up again and leaning over the table. Logan giving him a strange look as he sat with a huge stack of pancakes.

"What's perfect?" he asked, using the rest of the syrup.

"They kissed!"

"Gross." Logan said flatly.

"GROSS? I think not." James said defensively. Logan was silent, taking a huge bite and giving James a smart look.

"When do we have to go?" Carlos asked.

"Soon." Kendall said, looking at the clock. Ten thirteen. "After you finish, get your stuff together, I'll stuff a bunch of food in my backpack, and we'll go."

"Awe, I wanna stay forever." Carlos grumbled.

"You of all people know we can't stay here long." Kendall warned. "We have places to be."

"Yeah, yeah." Carlos sighed.

"Logan, have you decided what you're gonna do once we get to California?" James asked.

Logan snorted and shook his head.

"Haven't even thought about it."

Kendall saw Carlos open his mouth excitedly, no doubt to invite Logan to stay with he and Kendall.

"It's something you should be thinking about." Kendall said quickly, shooting Carlos a warning look.

"I bet you'd be a great model." Was what Carlos said instead, punching Logan's arm. Logan smiled bashfully and punched Carlos back.

"He told me he doesn't wanna be famous, though." James pointed out.

"I don't. I'll probably just... Try to get a job and an apartment."

Kendall saw Carlos' mouth open again, then snap shut, sighing and pushing his empty plate away.

"Did you get enough?" Logan asked him.

"Yeah. I'm stuffed." Carlos nodded, returning to his bouncy mood.

"Me, too." Kendall nodded.

"You don't count." James laughed. "You barely eat. But yeah- I'm stuffed, too."

"C'mon- let's go get stuff together." Kendall said, getting up and taking his and James' plates to the sink before they went upstairs.

"So... We get to kiss more, right?" James asked greedily as they entered Kendall's room. Kendall whirled around and smirked, accepting James' move to wrap his arms around his waist and plant a single kiss on his lips. Kendall's face dropped a little to watch as his hands ran up James' forearms and wrap around his waist, loving the warmth trapped between the wings and skin. James dipped down impatiently to catch Kendall's lips and bring his face back up, their lips locking for a long time.

Suddenly James was whirled around and pushed against the bed, knees unexpectedly failing to make them both fall to the bed. Kendall felt James' legs wrap around his waist, fingers tangling with short blonde hair. But all they could do was keep reconnecting their lips, not knowing what else to do.

Kendall repositioned, their crotches rubbing together, not thinking anything of it. Until an explosion of pleasure coursed through them both and all they could do was stare at each other, eyes wide.

"Is it bad that I'm a grown man and I've never discovered that before?" Kendall whispered, eyes wide. James smirked and easily lifted him off of him, setting him on his back back down on the bed. James straddled Kendall, leaning forward to initiate another kiss. This time he lifted himself a little and dragged himself slowly over Kendall's crotch, Kendall breaking the kiss to to close his eyes and bite his lip.

"God you have so much to learn." James whispered, repeating the motion.

James giggled and kissed Kendall's neck, making Kendall push him away lightly. "One mindfucking pleasure at a time."

"Oh my god-" Kendall said suddenly after a second.

"What?" James asked, stopping all motion in a panic.

James scooted back, confused, as Kendall lifted his PJ pants and stared down in awe.

"That's never happened to me before." he said.

Without even thinking about what he was doing, James leaned forward to look down Kendall's pants. And Kendall didn't know that that was weird, so he allowed it. And James bit his lip at the sight. This beautiful, innocent creature had such a tool.

"What's wrong with it?" James asked, confused.

"It's hard." Kendall said, also puzzled. James burst into laughter, falling forward, forehead on Kendall's chest.

"GOD you're cute." he said, out of breath.

"James! The hell? This has never happened before!" Kendall squeaked. "Is this what Carlos said is a... A..."

"Stiffy? Boner?" James sat up and took Kendall's hand.

"Check it out, buddy." he laughed, pressing Kendall's hand to the bulge in his own pants, ignoring the crazy pleasure he got from it. "Mine is, too."

Kendall jerked his hand back, horrified.

"Why?" he squeaked.

"That means our bodies want to have sex." James explained. "And that you think I'm extremely sexy. And the other way around."

"How do I make it go back?"

James smirked and scooted back up to his previous spot.

"Either I can take care of it for you, and you get ANOTHER new experience. OR you wait and let it go down by itself."

"I kinda like the sound of option number one." Kendall said flirtatiously.

"Hmm..." James' hands went to Kendall's chest, supporting himself as he started grinding again. Kendall's brows upturned, mouth opening, as his head fell back onto the bed.

"It feels even better now-" Kendall breathed. James just smirked and continued. He wasn't getting much pleasure from it, but he liked that Kendall was.

Only a few minutes later Kendall let out a scream of almost terror, eyes wide, and James stopped, knowing exactly what happened.

"What was that?" Kendall asked. "Gross- it's wet. I don't like it."

"You came in your pants, silly." James giggled, leaning down to kiss the boy. "Didn't it feel good?"

"Can we do it again?"

"Okay, gross. We have places to be!" Carlos called from the door.

"Carlos- it was glorious! We-" Kendall began, but James clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Kay!" he said brightly as he got off of Kendall and Carlos left, Logan trailing behind.

"James! I was gonna tell him all about it!" Kendall whined.

"That's not something you share. You and I can talk about it, but it's a private thing. Get it?" James asked.

"Was that sex?"

"No." James laughed. "Change your underwear."

* * *

"Man, I don't wanna leave! It's awesome here." Carlos pouted.

"Yeah, I know." Logan was putting things into his duffel bag that had spilled out.

"But we need to get to California soon." Carlos sighed.

"Why the hurry?"

Carlos twisted his mouth as Logan picked up the bag and turned to him.

"No hurry." Carlos lied.

"Hm." Logan nodded, kissing Carlos' cheek before going to the bathroom to stuff the little shampoos and soaps into his bag.

"You know, you don't have to kiss my cheek." Carlos retorted, following him. "I'm all yours."

"ALL mine?" Logan asked, turning to the Latino.

"ALL."

Logan giggled and bent down a little to lightly kiss Carlos' lips. When he pulled away, he was surprised to feel hands on his hips, clashing them into another pair of hips. Warm lips were demanding on his.

"We should probably get going." Carlos said quietly after pulling away. But Logan's long fingers raised to his hair, having nothing to tangle into but still bringing their lips together again. He wasn't demanding or rough, but gentle with his kisses. He was startled when Carlos's tongue entered his mouth, but allowed it. After realizing he had no idea how to return the favor, Logan's hands dropped to trace Carlos' muscular arms and allowed their fingers to lace together. He places light kisses over the dark skin on Carlos' neck, getting a little groan in return.

"I need you." Carlos whispered. "Bent over the bed, your pretty little ass in the air."

"Who says your pretty little ass shouldn't be in the air?" Logan asked, kisses still gentle over Carlos' neck.

"Cause you'd be too gentle with me." Carlos said.

"Is that bad?"

"If you WANT to top-"

"I don't. I just wanted to challenge you." Logan giggled before standing straight again to look into those dark eyes. "I've been taking care of myself for too long. I need a man who'll take care of me."

Despite Carlos' snort and inability to contain himself from pointing out the "That's what she said!" in the sentence, he still nodded.

"I can take care of you. No matter how you meant it." Carlos smiled. "But you gotta protect me, too. I'm little and scrawny and inexperienced. You're a modern day badass."

"I'll never let anything happen to you." Logan whispered. It broke Carlos' heart, wishing he could say the same to Logan. But he couldn't protect Logan from the lab. The thing Logan needed protection from the most was Carlos himself.

"We don't have very long together." Carlos pouted.

"We have forever."

Carlos bit his lip, breaking eye contact.

"What? What is it? I wish you would tell me what's going on." Logan sighed.

"Nothing. Just... Marveling at how sweet you are." Carlos smiled. "Let's ride."

With that, they went downstairs to find Kendall stuffing food in his backpack, James sitting on the counter, telling him a joke.

They were out and flying ten minutes later. Even with their new found "relationships", James and Carlos still hung out a lot, Kendall and Logan sticking up high and engaging in deep conversations.

"I've never acted the way I act around him." Logan said as they watched Carlos and James play below.

"I think it's sweet." Kendall piped. Logan rolled his eyes. "See? You never roll your eyes at him."

"Cause he doesn't say stupid shit."

"All he EVER says is stupid shit." Kendall laughed.

"And what about you and James?" Logan asked, only half interested.

"Awe, he's a sweety-pie." Kendall melted.

"No one says 'sweety-pie'." Logan grumbled.

"I do." Kendall said proudly. "I just look at him and think... What did I do to deserve him? He adores me and I have no idea why."

"Cause he gravitates toward leader types. Doesn't like to think for himself, just wants to follow."

Kendall gave Logan a hurt look, thinking Logan was insinuating that James was using him.

"No- I mean... Just never mind. I don't care." Logan sighed.

"No! Tell me!"

"I mean that he likes to be taken care of." Logan explained. "Wants someone to protect him and tell him what to do. He looks all big and tough, but he's a flamer on the inside."

Kendall didn't know what a 'flamer' was, but nodded.

"And he knows that you take care of Carlos and protect him, and he wants that. Except he wants to be able to touch you and kiss you and all that gross stuff. You know?"

"I guess so."

"Which means he'll always be the girl in the relationship."

"What about you 'n Los? Who's the girl?"

"Carlos and I don't have a relationship."

"Bull shit! If you don't, neither do I." Kendall retorted. "So who's the girl?"

"I dunno." Logan shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to see."

"Logan, has your dick ever... Gotten hard?" Kendall asked, seriously wondering.

"Okay, conversation over." Logan grumbled, dipping his left wing down to join Carlos and James, who had stopped roughhousing and we now just cruising. Kendall sighed. James DID say it was between them, and no one else. Maybe Carlos would talk to him about it.

Kendall couldn't help but smile at the way Carlos smiling brightly when Logan appeared. Their wings and appearances completely opposite, yet it looked so right. A beautiful angel and a dark demon, somehow bringing out the best in each other.

Before he knew it, James' bright hazel eyes were up on his green ones, waving him over. He smiled and dipped down to join them.

* * *

**Okay, so I didn't forget about the bomb. Be patient.**


	10. Vegas

**So I went on a deleting rampage. Deleted a crapload of my stories, which were just crap. But I was happy to see that within the past few months a lot of you have been reading even the crap ones and reviewing. J So thanks.**

**I saved a few of my favorites in Microsoft, because I loved them, but they were cluttering my profile. If you liked one that I deleted, I shoulda kept track and made a list, tell me and I'll totally work on rewriting it. I didn't delete any recent ones or any long ones, not long ones mainly cause I didn't wanna read through them. :D **

* * *

"Alas! We're in Nevada." Kendall said proudly as the four stood atop a skyscraper. "Almost to California."

"Know what's in Nevada?" James asked, wrapping an arm around Kendall's waist and pulling him to him.

"What?"

"Vegas." James sang.

"Vegas! Can we go? Can we go?" Carlos pleaded.

"What's Vegas?" Kendall interrupted.

"Oh gosh! It's like- this awesome city with lights everywhere and huge hotels and casinos and sketchy marriage places and-"

"Okay, calm down." Logan laughed, ruffling Carlos' short hair.

"Oh PLEEEASE, Kendall?" Carlos pleaded before turning to Logan. "Tell him, Pit! Tell him to let us go to Vegas!" Carlos begged, slamming himself into the boy and hugging him. Logan couldn't say no to that and Carlos knew it.

"It couldn't hurt anything." Logan reasoned. "And Carlos and James already made up your mind for you." Logan shrugged, hugging Carlos back.

James was already finding the city on Kendall's map.

"It'll only take a few hours to get there." he pointed out.

"I dunno…"

"Pleeease?" James groaned, hugging the blond from behind and kissing his ear. Kendall shivered and looked at Carlos, who was nodding in agreement.

"Fine. But how're we gonna get money for a room?"

"I have money." Logan volunteered. "Probably enough for two rooms for three days and two nights."

"You don't know how much they cost, though. They're expensive." Carlos said.

"We'll see." Logan shrugged.

As they flew, they all had the same thing on their minds. Possibly a few nights in a hotel room with their sweethearts? Both Kendall and Logan knew where this would go, and Carlos and James were plotting to make things happen.

But it was okay.

They had only been "romantically involved" for a few days, yet they couldn't help the feeling they got when they touched the other, when they kissed the other, when the other just smiled that him. It was intense, because normal teenagers didn't fall in love in a month. True, Kendall and James had bonding time while they were working the field in Nebraska. And Logan and Carlos had time while they were inside healing. But they all had that same feeling, like their heart grew a pair of wings themselves and was fluttering, trying to get out of their chests. Love. None of them knew that that was the emotion they felt, but they knew it had to be something close to it.

As the four boys reached Vegas, Kendall's jaw dropped.

"This is nothing. Just wait til it's dark." James glowed.

* * *

"So I spent all my money on one room for a night." Logan sighed. "Well, I still have a hundred."

They had arrived at a big fancy hotel/casino and Carlos had just joined James and Kendall from exploring.

"We can totally get a shitload of money out on the streets, just by showing people our wings!" James suggested. "Maybe do some flying, too."

"Oh- I know how to play Blackjack! I bet I could get you a bunch of money from that." Carlos said excitedly. Logan smirked and hooked an arm around Carlos' neck, kissing his hair.

"Let's go put our stuff down in the room, then we can see what happens." He said with finality. Everyone nodded and they followed Logan to the elevator.

"Would it be horribly offensive if I asked you if I could hold your hand?" James whispered as they rode the elevator, Carlos and Logan murmuring to one another cutely in front of them.

"Are you scared?" Kendall asked. Carlos held his hand sometimes when he was afraid.

James laughed and laced his fingers with Kendall's. This is NOT the way Carlos held his hand before.

"Kinda, I guess." James answered thoughtfully. "The only reason I can think that couples do it is cause they're afraid that they'll lose the other person in the crowd or something."

"We're not in a crowd, though."

"It's an expression of feelings, okay? Just like that." James pointed to Logan's arm over Carlos' shoulders, Carlos' arm around his waist, as they exited the elevator. "Kinda like saying 'Hey, I like you and wanna claim you as mine so nobody steals you. And I wanna be close to you cause you're warm and you smell nice.'"

Kendall laughed and looked down at the tangle of fingers his hand was engaged in. It was pretty, in a way, the way their hands were. Even though their fingernails were dirty and chewed, knuckles kinda hairy, it was beautiful.

"So you're claiming me?" he asked.

"Is that okay?"

Kendall laughed and nodded as Logan unlocked the door to their hotel room.

It was big and fancy, and it should be, because it was quite pricy. It had two beds side by side with a lamp in the middle, like a normal room.

"I've got food in the bag, just throwin' it out there." Kendall said, tossing his backpack on the bed on the left.

"I'm STARVING!" James sang, digging into the bag.

"So, how about that casino?" Carlos asked Logan.

"I dunno, Los. I could end up with a lot of money or no money at all." Logan sighed, doubtful.

"Take a risk!" Carlos pleaded. "It's HARDLY a risk. I'm awesome at Blackjack."

"Okay. Fine." Logan gave in. "It's only a hundred bucks- wouldn't get us too far anyway."

Kendall smiled to himself, seeing that Logan REALLY didn't want to risk losing all his money, but did anyway. Because Carlos wanted to.

"We're going down to the casino, then." Carlos said, picking up a few cookies, which James was munching on, before pulling Logan out of the room.

* * *

"Take note, baby-cakes. I'm about to double your money." Carlos said proudly, throwing in twenty-five dollars. They had gotten cash, and although twenty-five was nothing compared to everyone else's bets, Carlos was confident.

At the end of the game, Carlos did end up doubling Logan's money.

"That was awesome!" Logan smiled, kissing Carlos' cheek. It was close- Carlos almost lost a quarter of their money, but he came out victorious anyway.

Carlos was confident going into the next game and betted half their money- a hundred dollars.

And he lost.

"It's okay. It's fine! I still have a hundred." Carlos reasoned, this time betting only twenty-five.

Within an hour all the money was gone. Luckily Logan was able to pull Carlos away before they owed anything, though.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Pit! I'm so so so so so sorry." Carlos said, brows upturned, eyes flooding with tears. "I WAS good. I guess I'm rusty."

Logan would have been beyond pissed if anyone but Carlos gambled away his money. But he couldn't be pissed off at this adorable little Latino with angel wings, who was now trying to hide his tears of guilt by turning away and swiping the liquid away quickly.

"You tried your best." Logan said awkwardly.

"I did! I totally did!"

"And I mean… A hundred bucks woulda only gotten us a meal at most, with the way we eat." Logan reasoned. "And we're almost to California anyway."

Carlos sniffled and turned, looking up at Logan with tearful eyes.

"You're not mad?" he asked weakly.

"No." Logan sighed, putting an arm over Carlos' shoulders and guiding him outside. "Let's just walk around. That'll cheer you up."

* * *

James was laying on the bed on his stomach, eating cookies and watching TV with Kendall sitting against the headboard when the phone rang.

"Should I answer it?" Kendall asked, confused.

"Probably." James said indifferently. Kendall reached out and snatched up the phone on the nightstand, pressing it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Is a mister Kendall Knight there?" came the receptionist on the other end.

"That's me."

"We've got a call for you- may we connect you?"

"Uh- who is it?"

"There wasn't a name given."

"Um… Okay. Connect me."

There was a pause, then a deep voice.

"Hey, son." The voice was chillingly familiar and made Kendall's eyes squeeze shut in horror. Vincent.

When Kendall said nothing for a while, he continued.

"One more week." Vincent murmured. "You know, you're really close." The man said. The question of how Vincent knew where they were sent shivers down Kendall's back. "I might just… Chop off a few days from your deadline. Let's say… Three o'clock, day after tomorrow?"

Kendall went pale, breath catching, noticing James staring at him in confusion.

"Have you got the boys?" Vincent asked.

"Yes." Kendall answered, hesitating a little.

"Good. See you at three."

"Yeah." Kendall whispered, feeling his mouth go dry. And the line went dead.

Kendall's eyes rose to James, who was now facing him, worry on his face.

"Who was that?" James asked. Kendall opened his mouth to tell him the truth- all of it, because he knew James would understand and give him hugs and kisses to make him feel better, but instead a lie came out.

"Front office." he answered hoarsely. "Just… Telling me about the casino downstairs."

"Oh." James nodded.

As they sat there and stared at one another, realization crashed into Kendall. This was his last chance to take advantage of their alone time before he had to say goodbye and James hated him forever.

"W-will you put the little thingy on the doorknob outside?" Kendall asked.

"Why?" James asked, but suddenly realization hit him and his eyes widened. "Really? Honest to God? You want to?"

Kendall smiled and James jumped up to obey. He came back to gently push Kendall to lay on the bed, legs over the side, and straddled him.

"I don't know how this goes- you'll have to teach me." Kendall whispered as he was kissed.

"No problem."

* * *

Carlos beamed with pride as he and Logan walked outside hand-in-hand. No one stared, because here in Vegas, gay was okay. Quite accepted, actually. And what really made him happy was when Logan would laugh at something he said, dimples showing and eyes glowing, before saying something else and laughing at his own joke.

Logan loved the way the colorful lights shone off of Carlos' dark eyes and the way the Latino lived to make him laugh. It wasn't something he did a lot back in St. Louis, but since they started this journey- since he met Carlos, really- he had laughed every day and smiled even more. And he loved the way Carlos clutched his hand, as if Logan would literally fly away at any moment.

"Look, Pit! We could get married right here right now!" Carlos said excitedly, pointing to a little building made for quick marriages.

"You're gonna have to take me to dinner first, toots." Logan snorted.

"Oh, c'mon! We have dinner every night!" Carlos laughed.

"Then I guess we have to go get married, then." Logan smirked, placing a dramatic kiss on Carlos' temple. "But I want a nice, pretty wedding in a church, with a big cake and my mommy and daddy there."

"Do I have to wear a dress?"

"Of course."

Carlos laughed and squeezed Logan's hand.

"Tell me about Mom and Dad." he suggested. Logan smirked at Carlos' use of the names.

"Mom's a sweetie- does what she has to to get us by. Even if it meant selling me to science a few times. But it got us a lot of money, which we needed. She just had surgery and can't work, by the way. Dad… I'm not so close with dad. He's a Marine- he retired a while after I left and now he's home with Mom. Never saw much of him, and when I did he wasn't such a good dad, cause I was a 'mutant freak' and all." Logan explained. He sighed, missing his mom, but turned to Carlos. "What about your Mommy and Daddy?"

"Oh, they're dead." Carlos shrugged.

"My God- I'm so sorry." Logan blushed, feeling horrible for bringing it up. Carlos just laughed.

"I was TOLD that when I was like two, my parents were killed in a house fire. So until I was eighteen, I lived in an orphanage."

"Why didn't anyone adopt you?" Logan asked.

"Cause I was a troublemaker." Carlos smirked. "Anyway, when I was eighteen- actually, on my birthday- I was kinda kidnapped and taken to some shit lab and they sewed these wings on me and I met Kendall and then we broke out and here we are now."

"They SEWED them on?" Logan asked in surprise.

"Yeah. And fucked with my hormones. It was a super long surgery- they had to connect all the nerves to my spine and shit. I was in surgery for like a day. Hurt like hell in the morning." Carlos explained. "How'd you get yours?"

"I was born this way."

"Really? Shit! Were there feathers all stuck in your mom's hoochy?" Carlos questioned. Logan laughed and shook his head.

"You're so cute. No- my wings grew on their own when I was really young." Logan smiled. "My bones are all hollow and my lungs are all big and my hormones are crazy and my metabolism is super fast."

"You're a LEGIT bird boy. That's hot." Carlos winked.

Logan blushed as they turned around, back to the hotel.

"So… If you love your mom so much, why'd you leave?" Carlos asked.

"Cause James asked me to, and he put up some great arguments. Sure- he was a complete stranger, but he convinced me. And I didn't want to go to the lab anymore. But don't get me wrong- I left Mom a letter and a bunch of cash. And I'll see her again someday." Logan said.

"Do you like James?"

"Not like I like YOU, of course. But he's an okay guy. Looks like a badass, but really he's just sweet and silly. Like you." Logan nodded.

"He's my buddy." Carlos beamed. "And it's good that Kendall has someone like me. I mean, I'll ALWAYS be in his life. But not the way-" Carlos cut himself off, about to say 'Not the way James will be', realizing his planned words would be false.

"Not the way what?"

"I dunno." Carlos shrugged. "Just got ahead of myself."

"Shocker." Logan giggled.

When they arrived at their room, they found the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the doorknob. Carlos when white, knowing what that meant. But Logan just unlocked it anyway.

"PIT!" Carlos hissed, slapping his hand away from the knob. "They're FUCKING in there!"

"Doubtful. Kendall doesn't even know what sex is." Logan joked. But the Latino still looked horrified. "Look, I'll go in there and if they're doing the dirty, you and me will go roam the halls or something. Or I can kick em both in the assholes and tell them to stop."

Carlos giggled at this, but shook his head.

"Just be quiet. Don't disturb them if they are." he ordered. Logan nodded and crept into the room, peeking over the corner. The lights were on, so it was easy to see that Kendall and James were asleep in the bed, facing each other, James drooling inevitably on the pillow.

"They're just sleeping." Logan said allowed to Carlos, the Latino collecting the sign on the door and entering.

"Awe- look at em." Carlos melted. They were both shirtless, which was whatever because all but Logan slept shirtless. Little did Logan or Carlos know, they were also missing pants and underwear beneath the blankets.

The lights were turned off and Carlos removed his clothes, like his brother, he slept in his boxers, and climbed into the bed. Logan washed his face and brushed his teeth before doing the same, add a grey t-shirt. Only the bedside lamp remained on.

"How come you sleep with a shirt on?" Carlos pouted.

"I always have." Logan shrugged.

"Can we cuddle?" Carlos asked, eyes bright. It was their first night sleeping together.

"Do I LOOK like a good cuddle buddy?" Logan asked, embarrassed.

"Maybe if you took off your shirt." Carlos said with mischief.

"You don't wanna see my bod." Logan groaned. But Carlos was already tugging at the hem, so Logan gave in and took it off. Carlos just stared at the pale skin, ab muscles and hard muscles showing, a little bit of black hair on his chest and making a happy trail below his belly button.

"See? This is why." Logan groaned, pulling the covers over himself and reaching out a hand to turn off the lamp.

"God, you're so hot." Carlos sighed dreamily, plopping down on the bed, dazed. He rolled over to run a hand over the hard crevices on Logan's warm stomach and chest, Logan not objecting.

"I just wanna… Lick you all over." Carlos whispered. Logan burst into laughter, hugging Carlos to him in the darkness, Carlos still in awe.

* * *

**Okay. Next chapter- the beginning of what you've been waiting for. :D Sorry, I'm just so excited.**


	11. Love Is Powerful Part 1

**Okay, so here's the deal. My rabbit chewed up my computer charger to where it doesn't work anymore, and I just got a new one. That's why I didn't post anything in forever- I didn't want you to think I like quit FanFic or something. I kept writing on my iPod, so that's what's up. I realize the whole thing was PROBABLY a sign that I should cut down on the FanFiction for a while, but it's my addiction. Come at me, fate!**

**So this is a really long chapter cause I've been writing it for a little less than a week on my iPod and I had no idea how much I was writing. So I split it into part 1 and 2. I was just having fun with it, and there's a lot of talking, but other than band camp I've had nothing to do. So yeah. :D Hope you love it.**

**Guys, did you watch Big Time Dreams? Gosh, I cried. Even though they SAY it might not be the last season ever, it obviously was. Cause why else would they sing "We Are" and show precious memories from the past seasons, then after the episode play "We Are" and show pictures of them on tour and their fans and stuff?**

**Are they gonna still be a band? I feel like probably not… I mean, they're tight. But James wants to get into movies and Kendall probably wants to go solo or get bigger with Heffron Drive. Carlos probably wants to get into TV more and get married to Alexa and have babies. And Logan, well I have no idea what he's gonna do. Probably acting if anything.**

**Are they gonna take Big Time Rush off of FanFiction if they stop making episodes?**

* * *

Kendall woke up early the next morning, feeling foreign arms around him from the back, a foreign body pressed against him. James.

Oh yeah. They... Did the nasty. And it was great.

Kendall reached down to lightly stroke the muscular arm clinging to him. He hoped he didn't hurt the poor guy last night. Last night...

Kendall's mind flashed to the phone call.

Tomorrow at 3.

He jerked from James' grip and stumbled to the floor, pulling up his boxers and scrambling to the lights beside the door.

"Okay, everyone up. We have to go." Kendall ordered, turning on the lights.

James and Carlos were unaffected, but Logan looked up sleepily, Carlos cuddled up to him, still sound asleep.

"It's seven AM, you dick." Logan growled, hair messy as he sat up a little.

"Mmm- shh." Carloa grumbled, a hand lazily finding its way to Logan's mouth and dropping. Logan wasn't phased, just stared at Kendall, who ripped the blankets from James. Both Logan's and Kendall's eyes went wide as James' naked body was revealed.

Kendall scrambled for James' boxers and tossed them to the boy, who was coming to now.

"Shit. Don't look at my junk." James gasped once he realized what was going on and covered himself with a pillow.

"Get up- we need to get a move on." Kendall ordered, pulling a shirt over his head.

"Why? It's so early." James groaned. "Just come cuddle some more- just four more hours."

"C'mon, guys! Chop chop!" Kendall ordered, jerking the blankets from Carlos and Logan.

"Fuck you!" Carlos snapped, pulling the blanket back over him and burying his face in Logan's chest.

"James already did." Logan grumbled.

"Carlos, get up!" Kendall growled.

"Fuck you! It's too early!" Carlos shot. "I fucking hate you! God DAMN!"

Logan chuckled and got up, Carlos reaching for him helplessly.

Finally they were all ready and checked out of the hotel, Carlos still sleepy and extremely grumpy.

"Why the HELL are we up right now?" Carlos snapped.

"We're just- so close. I wanna get there say by... Tomorrow at 3?"

"That's extremely specific." Logan pointed out.

"No, it's a goal." Kendall corrected before getting a running start and kicking off the ground to take flight.

"I'm so tired." Carlos pouted to Logan.

"I know, baby." Logan said, kissing Carlos' hair before kicking off the ground.

"I'm your baby?" Carlos asked cheerfully, catching up to Logan.

"Duh." Logan shrugged. "Is that okay?"

"It's amazing." Carlos melted.

Ahead of the two, Kendall and James flew side by side.

"So... How are you this morning?" Kendall asked.

"Really really sore." James laughed. "It's gonna be hard to sit right for a while. But it was totally worth it. You know, for an innocent little boy, you're quite rough."

"James!" Kendall laughed, blushing. He knew Logan probably heard, so he looked back, relieved to see his brother distracting Logan with a joke.

* * *

They stopped right at California to rest- it was about 7 pm now.

"Los? Can I talk to you?" Kendall asked as Logan and James dug into the bag of food.

"But I'm tired." Carlos whined.

"We'll find somewhere to sit."

So they flew around before finding a cliff type thing to sit on the edge of.

"Vincent called me at the hotel last night." Kendall began.

"Okay."

"He said... He's cutting us short. Our deadline's tomorrow at 3. And if James and Logan aren't at the lab by then, the bomb's gonna go off." Kendall said, voice catching.

His feelings for James were beyond explanation, and he hated himself for allowing it. Because now it was either his brother's life or James'.

"Oh." Carlos whispered.

They were silent, both on the brink of tears.

"I won't do it." Carlos finally said.

"You have to. Cause... If you die, I die, too. That's the deal- brothers forever." Kendall said. "And it's either two people die or all four live, even if half are in a lab."

"Pit told me he ran away from home cause his mom always took him to labs. I couldn't do that to him." Carlos said, bursting into tears. "I love him, Kendall."

Ordinarily Kendall would have said "Stop being dumb- you don't LOVE him.", but right now he knew exactly how Carlos felt for this boy.

"I know." Was all he said. "But... I won't let you blow."

Carlos fell to his back, staring up that the sky with tears running toward his ears.

"I can't stand the thought of Logan hating me." he whispered. "And I know you don't want James to hate you."

"No... But I can't lose you, either." Kendall whispered. "You're my brother and I love you and I won't let you die for love. Cause I love you more than Logan could ever love you. And you're all I have."

"You'd have James and my Logan and your family."

"No. You're not sacrificing yourself, Carlos. Logan and James... They're tough. They can take it. And they could break out- just like you and me."

"Think so?"

"Yeah." Kendall nodded as Carlos sat up.

Kendall began thinking about James. His face when he realized that he had been duped. His hatred for Kendall. Kendall never seeing James again. James having to live with the fact that this disgusting, evil blond boy was the first to penetrate him.

The two stayed there for a long time, Kendall weeping, but Carlos staying calm.

"HEY! ARE YOU GUYS DEAD UP THERE?" Came a yell, and Kendall looked down to see James and Logan looking up at them from the bottom of the huge cliff.

"C'mon." Carlos murmured, helping his brother to his feet. "It's time for a fantastic last day with these fantastic bird boys."

With that, Carlos stepped off of the edge of the cliff. When Kendall reached the ground, Carlos and Logan were walking away hand in hand, Carlos seemingly back to his happy ways and Logan smiling cheerfully.

"Wassa matter?" James asked immediately. Kendall turned to James and clashed himself into the boy, breaking down again. After a second, he sank down to the ground, James holding him the whole way down.

James had no idea what this was all about, but he rocked Kendall lightly, kissed his hair, whispered sweet things in his ear, and rubbed soothing circles in his back.

"What's going on, babe?" he finally murmured after Kendall's sobs had quieted a little. But Kendall didn't answer, only sat there, curled up between James' legs, in his strong arms, still crying.

"It's okay. Whatever it is... I'm here." James whispered, kissing Kendall's sweaty forehead gingerly.

"Just hold me forever." Kendall pleaded.

"Okay." James chuckled, pressing his cheek to Kendall's short blond hair. "Forever."

"I'm so tired." Kendall whispered a while later, after he was only dry sobbing.

"Go to sleep. I'll hold you." James murmured.

"There's no time for sleep." Kendall sniffled, looking up at James, who laughed and wiped away the stream of snot below Kendall's nose with his thumb and wiped it on his own jeans.

* * *

Carlos sat on a fallen tree, Logan surprising him by sitting on his lap, legs sideways so he could look at Carlos. Logan smiled, kissing Carlos' cheek a few times before Carlos gave in and turned his head to catch his kisses. After making out for a while, Carlos pulled away, pained. When he looked up into Logan's eyes, they were full of happiness and trust and love.

And all that would be gone tomorrow at 3.

Carlos imagined Logan's face as he struggled against two big guys, who were dragging him backward. His face as he was tossed into a cell with James, both boys looking helplessly out the window on the door at their loves, who betrayed them.

He couldn't do that.

"I need you to take James and Kendall and go." Carlos said without thinking. "Leave and never think about me again."

Logan's face changed and he straightened up.

"What?"

"Baby... I have a bomb in me." Carlos whispered. "And it's gonna blow me up tomorrow at 3."

"What?"

"Right here-" Carlos pointed to where the tiny bomb was.

"Well... I'll take it out." Logan said urgently. "I'll diffuse it somehow."

"You're sweet." Carlos smiled weakly.

"How do I diffuse it? There's gotta be a way." Logan murmured.

"Please, Pit. I don't want you guys around to see it." Carlos whispered.

"Tell me how."

Carlos hesitated, but gave in, telling Logan the whole story- beginning to end. From escaping the lab all the way to the present.

Afterward, instead of jumping up and being angry, Logan threw his arms around Carlos' neck.

"I'm gonna find that lab and turn myself in." Logan whispered.

"No, Logan." Logan knew Carlos was serious, because Carlos used his real name instead of "Pit".

"I can't let you just- die." Logan murmured.

"I can't have you and James hate Kendall and me." Carlos whispered. "And living in a lab is hell."

"I don't care! You can't DIE."

"Logan. This isn't a choice to me. I'm dying tomorrow at three and I'm content with it." Carlos whispered.

And for the first time in years, a tear escaped the dark and mysterious Logan's eye as he stared into Carlos'.

"But I love you." Logan whimpered.

Carlos smiled a little and wiped away the tear.

"I love you, too." he murmured. "Just... Have a fantastic last day with me? Please?"

"You do? You love me?" Logan whispered.

"God, Jesus fuck, Pit. I love you." Carlos smiled. "And you love me?"

"I love you a lot." Logan nodded, hugging Carlos close. "What do you wanna do today?"

"Gosh- I don't think your innocent ears can hear what I wanna do today." Carlos said flirtatiously. Logan smiled, but his face soon dropped again.

"I thought we were gonna get married." Logan whispered, voice cracking as a tear dripped from his eye.

"No- don't cry." Carlos pleaded, taking Logan in his arms as for the first time since he was a kid, the boy sobbed.

"How can I convince you out of this?" Logan managed.

"You can't." Carlos whispered. "It's not just you. It's James, too. He's my friend- and Kendall loves him. I can't betray him like that."

"No, please, Carlos. I promised I'd protect you from anything- I can't let you down." Logan whispered.

"This is me protecting you. Sweetie, my death'll be quick and painless. But if you go to the lab, yours and James' will be long and drawn out and extremely painful. I know what it's like to live in a lab. There's no convincing me out of it. We've got like an hour or so til the sun goes down- let's make the most of it."

* * *

Once Kendall stopped crying, James didn't push him to tell what was going on. He didn't want Kendall to break down again and he knew people who were torn up about something didn't like talking about it sometimes. Instead, he rocked Kendall gently in his arms as Kendall spoke.

"I'm sorry." he whispered. "That was awkward for you."

"It's cool."

"I just... Can't talk about it."

James assumed he meant he didn't WANT to talk about it, but really Kendall meant he couldn't tell James what was going on.

"Did Carlos do something to you?" James asked.

"No. Nothing like that." Kendall said.

"Oh." James didn't push it anymore as Kendall got up and helped him up.

"It was wrong of me to get involved with you." Kendall murmured, eyes full of sorrow.

"What?" James asked defensively.

"Cause we're gonna have to say goodbye soon. And... I don't want to."

"No goodbye will never be forever between us." James promised. "You mean too much to me."

Kendall's heart melted and he cursed it silently for doing so.

"Whatever happens... Just know that... I..." Kendall tried, but failed. "I lo-"

James blushed, knowing what Kendall was going for.

"It's okay, Kendall." he murmured. "You don't have to say it to prove a point. I understand what you're getting at."

Kendall sighed, flustered, and shook his head.

"I've only said it to Carlos." he admitted. "And it wasn't the same as this. But the feelings are there."

"Well... I love you, too." James smiled sheepishly. "It sounds stupid, but I do."

"Oh god." Kendall whined, turning away.

"What? I can't say that?" James demanded.

"No! Cause it won't last past tomorrow!" Kendall insisted.

"Of course it will. It'll last forever."

"Dammit! I wish I could just tell you everything!" Kendall grunted.

"Then do it! Fuck, Kendall! Tell me! I just sat there a d held you for like twenty minutes while you bawled your eyes out, and you think you can't tell me what's going on?"

"You'll leave!" Kendall yelled, whirling around. "And that would be for the best, but at the cost of my brother's life! And dammit, I love you! I love you so much, but I have to choose and he's my fucking brother! And I wish I could make it all better, like I always do, but I can't! And I'm sorry!"

"What are you talking about?" James retorted.

"I'M SCARED, JAMES! Dammit, I'm so scared!" Kendall yelled, fists clenched. He stood there, breathing hard, looking at James as a sense of calm rushed through him.

"What're you scared of? I'll fix it. I'll protect you. I'll kill the damn president if it makes you feel safe."

James murmured, stepping forward.

"I'm scared of losing you and gaining your hate." Kendall admitted, looking away.

"I could never hate you." James attempted a hug, but Kendall flipped out.

"You can and you will! You just wait!" Kendall yelled, turning to walk away. His arm was caught.

"Stop fighting me!" James growled, spinning him around. "Tell me what's going on."

"There's a bomb in Carlos that's gonna blow up at 3 tomorrow unless I break your heart and Carlos breaks Logan's and we never see you again and you and Logan have to live in a lab and I hate it but I can't let Carlos die cause I love him so much but I love you, too, but at least you'll be alive and I'm sorry." Kendall said quickly, brows upturned. James stared at him in shock, mouth a wide "O".

"So... This whole time... It's been a trap?" James asked quietly, hurt dripping from his voice.

"I'm sorry."

"Do you even love me, or was that part of it?" James spat, stepping away quickly.

"I do love you! James, please!" Kendall pleaded. James shook his head angrily and flew off, Kendall sinking to the ground.

Was James coming back? He'd better- the lab probably wouldn't settle for just one boy. But then again... James would be free. But then Carlos would be... Be...

Kendall took off after the dot disappearing into the horizon that was James.

* * *

That night, Logan and Carlos lay in the grass, looking up at the stars. They had been there for a while when Logan sat up and put his ear to Carlos' ribs.

"What're you doing?" Carlos laughed.

"I don't hear it beeping." Logan noted, shifting his head to listen to a different spot.

"It's probably really deep in there." Carlos reasoned. "Or maybe it just doesn't beep."

"I guess." Logan shrugged, returning to his position in the grass. "Carlos?"

"Hm?"

Logan was silent, biting his lip.

"Do you think it would be better to just... Get it over with?" he said quietly.

"No. Cause then I wouldn't be dying for you- I'd be dying for me."

"But sitting there, waiting til 3 o'clock on the dot... That's gonna be horrible." Logan whispered.

"Maybe. But it's the way it's gonna be."

"You're so... Brave." Logan whispered. "I wouldn't be able to do that."

"Sure you would." Carlos insisted. "You're braver than me. I was terrified when we broke out of the lab.

And you just- ran away from home with a complete stranger with little to no persuasion."

Logan rolled to his side to look at Carlos, the Latino doing the same.

"I wouldn't mind living in the lab. Knowing you're alive and Kendall's taking care of you."

"Logan-"

"I know. But... I don't want you to die. You seem all too willing."

"Pit... I'm scared shitless. Death is my number one fear. But God loves mutants. And He's giving me the courage to do this right now. Cause he knows I'm doing the right thing."

"God loves mutants, eh?"

"Yeah."

"Then why didn't He shut down the labs? Why didn't He get you outta this somehow?"

"Maybe it's just my time to go. Go- be an angel."

"You ARE an angel." Logan whispered. "You've got the wings for it."

"Does that make you a hell's angel then? Fuck no."

"Maybe." Logan smirked. Carlos smiled and ran his fingertips over Logan's smooth cheek before lightly kissing him.

"Thank you. For being my first love." Logan whispered, kissing Carlos' palm, as his fingers were still on his cheek. "I'm never this smiley and happy and mushy. I'm always cold, dark, hard, angry Logan. And I'll probably go back to that. Cause I'll have a reason then."

"But you're so cute when you smile- with your dimples and stuff. And your laugh- it makes me so happy. And it makes me feel special when you say sweet things to me, cause I know I'm the only one who gets that."

"You know, I never even gave it a second thought that I was in love with you, which meant I was gay." Logan noted. "But I guess... If I fits I sits, right?"

Carlos' head leaned toward the sky as rolls of rich laughter emitted from him. His laugh was kinda like a baby's laugh- made you happy. So Logan couldn't help but laugh, too.

"Does that apply to asses, too?"

"Only if it's a cute little Latino ass." Logan giggled.

"Well, I dunno. I hear I'm a pretty big asshole. I guess you'll fit."

"Who called you an asshole? I'll kill em."

Carlos was still giggling as he climbed on top of Logan and kissed him.

"And who says I wanna top?"

"Me. Cause you're topping." Carlos whispered. "Then I am. Then you again. Then maybe I'll try again, cause I know I'll let you down the first time. Hopefully not literally."

Logan giggled between kisses.

"That's a LOT of fucking." he said.

"Good."


	12. Love Is Powerful Part 2

James was on the cliff that Carlos and Kendall were on earlier in the day. He had flown for a long time, thinking hard, before circling back and perching on the edge of the rocky cliff.

It was all a trap. And he fell into it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He should have run away that first night when they met Kendall and Carlos in Nebraska. Shoulda trusted Logan's instincts. Should have trusted Kendall when he said it wasn't a good idea for them to get involved. But as usual, James Diamond was a dipshit and fell into the trap. So stupid.

He looked down at Logan and Carlos through the darkness, only visible by Carlos' white feathers. They were cuddling and talking- enjoying their time together. He doubted Logan even knew about all this... But he had a feeling Logan wouldn't be mad. He'd wanna save Carlos' life. And James did, too. Carlos was a fantastic buddy, and Kendall loved him a lot. Maybe that's what brought James back here instead of going to Hollywood. Or maybe his intuition was telling him if he was famous, the lab would track him down and take him. Or maybe, and he was afraid to admit this, he came back for Kendall.

He fell back so his head was on the rocky surface of the cliff, palms pressed to his leaking eyes.

"Don't cry, you little asshole." James growled to himself.

Kendall sat back, staring. James had no idea he was there, only feet behind him. He had come here to think, too.

"Stupid! So fucking stupid! Like always, you dumbass." James yelled at himself. "You had it coming! You didn't listen to Logan, didn't listen to Kendall! Cause you're too stupid to see when you shouldn't push something. Too fucking stupid and stubborn and spoiled to let something go that you want. Have to have everything, don't you? Fucking prick."

Kendall silently got up and sat beside the boy, who was still yelling at himself. He reached over to lay a comforting hand on James' stomach.

Immediately James jumped and got to his feet.

"Jesus fucking fuck! You scared me!" James squeaked.

"Sorry." Kendall muttered, also standing. When James realized that it was Kendall, he backed away.

Kendall stayed, looking over the cliff.

"Hm. I can see Carlos and Logan down there. Wait-" Kendall's eyes widened and his hands flew up to cover them. "OH MY GOD MY BROTHER'S GETTING PLOWED DOWN THERE!" he screeched in agony, turning away. James laughed a little and sat down, hugging his knees, cheek on them. They sat in silence for a while.

"I really do love you, honey." Kendall said lightly, pacing before James.

"I'm not your honey." James said flatly.

"I was so afraid to get involved with you because I knew this would happen. And I was right. And it's so painful- damn. And I understand that you hate me."

James was silent, and that stung a little.

"But you have to understand... My father came to us after we broke out and just- stabbed this bomb in my brother. I didn't care that these two boys we were supposed to find would get hurt in the process- I just cared that I save my brother's life. And since I've known Carlos, that's been everything to me. Protecting him. And I fucking HATE that you hate me now and that you will forever, but at least I know you and Logan are alive, and Carlos is okay."

James was silent, but got up.

"And... I give you full permission to hit me. Beat me. I don't care, cause I deserve it." Kendall murmured. James stepped forward and Kendall flinched, but stayed put.

"I fucking hate you so much." James said lowly, looking over Kendall's shoulder at, indeed, Carlos getting plowed, then back at Kendall.

"I know. I hate me, too." the blond said.

"I was gonna bolt... But I came back for Carlos. Cause... I've never had friends before, and Carlos is awesome. And Logan, too. And you. And I couldn't be so selfish and leave. Like you said- at least we'll all be alive. And who knows? Maybe my mom'll have connections there and get me and Logan outta there."

"You'd get Logan out, too?"

"How the hell else are we gonna all reunite and get married and somehow have little bird babies?" James smirked.

"Even after everything... You'd find me?"

"I hate you right now, but deep down you're still my first love. And... Even though you're a lying bastard, yeah. I still love you to death."

Kendall melted, wanting to just break down in happy tears.

"I shoulda stayed and listened to what you had to say- cause your little monologue was so sweet. But I let my temper get outta control. I was hurt and felt stupid. I AM stupid- always have been."

"Shut up, you're not stupid."

"The truth is, I'm glad you're a lying dick. Cause I found my soul mate out of it. And so did Logan. And not a lot of people can say that, so I think it's all worth it. Maybe."

"Why're you taking this so well?"

"I wasn't. I flew around for like three hours- just NOT being okay with it. I did a lot of thinking... Cleared my head... And came to a consensus."

"Which is?"

"I love you. And after tomorrow, I have the rest of my life to be pissed off at you. But tonight I wanna soak you in while I can. Have a nice last night with you." James said quietly. "If you'll have me."

"What do you wanna do?" Kendall asked.

"I'd love to just lay here on this cliff and look at the stars. And whisper sweet nothing's to you." James said, voice breaking as he looked away.

"Don't fucking CRY you pussy!" he growled to himself, angry at his weakness.

"It's okay to cry. At least I hope so- cause I did a lot today." Kendall insisted.

"One of us has to be strong here." James sighed.

"Or we can both be weak and crash to the ground together." Kendall whispered.

"No. I want to hold you up." James insisted.

"James, it's okay to cry. You're about to be turned in to a laboratory by your boyfriend-"

"Boyfriend?" James asked, suddenly perking up.

"A lab, which is going to do tests on you and make you hurt and maybe even make you have sex with a bird girl. And it's all my fault, and your love for me will turn to hate and we-" Kendall's voice broke as he talked. "We may never see each other again."

Kendall was the one to turn away in tears this time.

"See? It's okay to cry." he managed. James swiped away his own tears and wrapped his arms around Kendall from behind, nose buried in the side of the boy's hair and inhaling his scent. That scent that James was likely never to forget.

This boy, with the hooked nose, with the broken yet friendly smile, with the unique shade of green eyes, which looked caramel sometimes, with the golden hair, which like most blondes was turning browner by the year, with the scent that James could pick out any day, with the big, glorious wings of brown and white. This boy, who was so protective of a boy who he called his brother, although he obviously wasn't.

This boy, who had a reasonable head on his shoulders, yet was so easy to convince to give in to James.

This boy who didn't know what sex was, never even had a stiffy, until James showed him the ropes. This boy, who was just so easy to love. This boy, whom James would never forget.

The wind rustled their hair and clothes and Kendall turned his head to smell the fresh air, leaving James's nose on his forehead as Kendall leaned back into him. The breeze dried his tears to make way for new ones.

Soon they laid down on James' jacket, holding one another, foreheads pressed together. And they did exactly what James suggested. Whispered sweet nothing's to one another.

* * *

"Gosh- you know, I'm pretty sure homo fuck is so much better than hetero fuck. I mean, this way we can switch and get the whole experience." Carlos said, breathless, head on Logan's bicep as he looked at the stars, Logan on his side staring at him.

"That was amazing." Logan agreed. They were in their boxers now, although they were sure their moans and screams let James and Kendall know what was going on. Logan wondered what those two did this evening.

Did James even know about all this?

Did Kendall know about Carlos' plan?

"I think I'm gonna kill myself." Logan whispered in Carlos' ear.

"What?" Carlos snapped, rolling over and propping himself on an elbow.

Logan did the same, but kissed Carlos' jaw and neck lightly. He was done with sex for now, but just wanted to kiss Carlos forever.

"Logan- the hell did you just say?" Carlos demanded, lightly pushing the boy away.

"I said I'm gonna kill myself." Logan whispered, laying back on his side.

"Why?"

"Cause you'll be dead. And my mom told me that once your soulmate dies, you do too. No matter how old you are- and that's why teens are killed in car accidents and all that. I'm gonna die anyway- I don't wanna sit around and wait for it."

"No. Logan- look at me."

Logan obeyed.

"Don't you ever talk like that again. Dammit! Fuck!" Carlos growled, more to himself than Logan.

"Just lay back down, baby. I'm sorry." Logan murmured. Carlos, still cautious, laid down to look at the stars. Logan was closer to his face as he stared, his breath hot on Carlos' cheek.

"If you're gonna do it, don't tell me so." Carlos whispered, eyes illuminated by the stars. "I love you too much to know you're gonna do that."

Logan was silent, feeling like an ass.

"But I love you a lot, too, and I know you're gonna do it." he whispered. "Do you know how scary that is?"

Carlos' eyes closed gently, lips moving ever so slightly but not saying anything.

_Lord, please look over Logan and James and especially Kendall when I'm gone. Make sure they know that it's my time to go, and I'm okay with it. Protect them from evil lab people and make sure they're taken care of._

"Amen." he whispered, eyes opening gently.

Logan understood then.

"I never got to ride an elephant." Carlos said.

"What?"

"Or get married. Or read the Twilight books. Or learn to play the violin. Or-"

"Why don't you focus on the good stuff that you DID get to do?" Logan suggested.

"Like?"

"You fell in love. Had sex. You have wings and get to fly any time. You got shot. And got a badass scar-" Carlos laughed at this. "You gambled away all of your boyfriend's money. You got to see my abs. Got to see James naked- oh, nevermind you were asleep-"

"What? You got to see James naked?" Carlos groaned.

"Wasn't a big woop." Logan said. "You broke out of a high-security laboratory. You found two needle bird boys in the haystack of America. You-"

"I get it." Carlos giggled. "I've had a badass life."

"And you're going out a badass way."

"I am, aren't I?" Carlos said in pride. "Damn."

Logan laughed and kissed Carlos' cheek.

"I love you." he whispered.

Carlos smiled and turned his head.

"I love you, too." he answered, and their lips connecting in a long kiss.

* * *

"Tell me about your mom." Kendall suggested as he and James laid on their sides on the cliff, noses nearly touching.

"Mmm-" James hummed sleepily. "She's a scientist. She injected me with a bunch if shit when I was a kid and made me grow wings and change all my hormones and crap, so she's smart. Slightly heartless. I guess she loved me and I loved her, but she was a bitch. Didn't want me to follow my dreams. What about your family?"

"I don't remember much- haven't seen my mom and sister for fifteen years. But I know my mom's a really sweet person- like, the kind of person who would tell my friends to call her 'Mom'. I don't know anything about Katie- she was super little last time I saw her."

"So... Your dad just doesn't count as family?"

"No. He's a dick and I hate him." Kendall said simply.

"Yeah- I never knew my dad, so I guess he's a dick, too. Cause who just leaves their wife and adorable little son randomly? Nobody nice." James said thoughtfully. "I saw pictures of him when he was younger- I look exactly like him. I think it used to tear my mom up."

When Kendall was silent, James assumed he was asleep and did the same.

* * *

_Carlos sat in the clearing of the woods, hugging his knees. Logan had on a watch- 2:59 pm._

_Realization hit Logan like a Mac truck. _

_"Carlos!" he screamed, trying to lunge forward for Carlos. What was the plan? He had no idea, he just needed to get to the Latino._

_But every step he took sent Carlos farther away. Carlos just looked up, smiling tauntingly at him._

_"No! Come back!" Logan cried, tripping. But he never landed on the ground, just kept falling down a hole. And above him was a huge boom and blinding lights._

_Powder white feathers floated around Logan, swaying in the air current so peacefully._

_Something was flying at Logan, and he caught it._

_A human heart. Still beating and spewing blood everywhere._

_He screamed, dropping the heart._

* * *

"Logan!" Carlos called, shaking Logan's shoulders in a panic. Logan was convulsing and whimpering in his sleep, fingernails digging into his palms, eyes squeezed shut. It took a few seconds for the boy's dark eyes to snap open, focusing up on Carlos.

"Oh my god." he breathed, sitting up to slam himself into Carlos in a teary hug.

"It's okay. It was just a dream." Carlos murmured, rubbing his back comfortingly. Logan gripped the boy's shirt with all his might, shaking in terror.

"Don't do this. Please don't." Logan sobbed quietly.

Carlos was silent as Logan's forehead rested on his shoulder.

"I need to go talk to Kendall. He doesn't know about my plan." Carlos whispered after a while. "I think… I think it would be best if you were gone when I got back."

"What?"

"I want you to get a head start. You shouldn't be around when it happens." Carlos murmured, getting up and taking Logan with him.

"No. I won't leave you. We still have a few hours together." Logan pleaded.

"Just go to the next town over and wait for Kendall and James." Carlos said, wrapping his arms around Logan's torso tightly.

"You can't be alone for this!"

"Logan- I- I don't want you to be around when it happens." Carlos whispered. Logan's knees went weak and he finally hugged back.

Logan's nose buried itself into Carlos' short hair, inhaling his scent. He never wanted to forget that smell, never wanted to forget the way this boy felt in his arms or the tightness of Carlos' arms around him.

"Don't leave me." he whispered pleadingly.

"God needs me up there more than you need me right here." Carlos whispered.

"Then God is a selfish bastard, cause I've never needed anything more in my whole life. You're my air, my food, my water, my sleep. Carlos… You're my everything." Logan whispered. "Don't leave me."

Carlos' heart broke and a few tears slipped from his eyes.

"I'm not leaving you. You're leaving me. And we both know it's for the best." Carlos said softly.

"I wanna hold you at three. I wanna die with you."

"No." Carlos said sternly. "It's not your time."

Logan was silent.

"I have to go find Kendall." Carlos whispered.

"No."

"You have to go."

"Carlos-"

"Logan." Carlos warned. Logan hugged Carlos tighter before loosening his grip and pulling away to kiss him gently. They held one another for a long time, until finally they kissed again and Carlos flew away, forcing himself not to look back, not to see that look on Logan's face anymore.

* * *

"Kendall." Carlos whispered, nudging his brother with his foot. Kendall grumbled and looked up, confused, as James' fingers twitched from his side.

Carlos sat down on the rocky surface, hugging his knees, taking a deep breath.

"You and James need to go to the next town and meet Logan and go somewhere else." he said softly.

"Why? Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. I've decided that at three o'clock I'm gonna be dead… And you and James and Logan have to be outta here."

"The hell kinda shit dream is this?" Kendall grumbled.

"You're not dreaming."

Kendall sat up and looked around.

"Now- what?" he asked.

"You and James have to disappear and find Logan in the next town. I'm gonna- gonna wait til three and I'm gonna blow up."

"Why? We agreed-"

"No. I'm doing this. I know what it's like in the lab and I never want Logan and James to have to live in that. I just- I have this feeling. And I know this is what has to happen."

By now James had woken up and had crawled up to lay his head in Kendall's lap and close his eyes again, falling back asleep.

Kendall looked up to argue, but what he saw in Carlos' eyes changed his mind for him. A look of determination that showed that Carlos' mind was set, he knew what he was doing, and he wouldn't sway. And for the first time that Kendall had ever witnessed, Carlos looked wise.

"Then I'm going with you." Kendall found himself saying. All emotions were numb now- from all the crying and thinking and talking. But he knew that since he was numb, his subconscious was talking for him- and his subconscious knew best."

"What?"

"We'll go together."

"No! You bastard!"

"It'll happen anyways… Brothers forever, right?"

"You wouldn't leave James." Carlos hissed.

"I wouldn't leave you either." Kendall said. He looked down to stroke James' hair slowly. "I just- I need a few minutes to say goodbye."

Carlos, like his brother just seconds ago, opened his mouth to argue but found himself unable. Kendall's face was set, eyes serious on his. So instead of arguing, Carlos closed his mouth and nodded.

Kendall hesitated, looking at his brother before dropping his eyes to the sleeping angel in his lap. Carlos patted his shoulder lightly before getting up. He looked over the cliff to see that Logan was gone, which he was relieved for. He didn't want to say another goodbye. He dropped from the cliff to give his brother and James a few minutes.

Kendall stared at James for a while before waking him.

"Hm?" James grumbled as his name was called through his dreams. His shoulder was shaken and his eyes opened to see Kendall looking down at him. "Hey." James smiled sleepily.

"Hi." Kendall said softly, James feeling Kendall's thumbs stroking his jaw upside down.

"Wassa matter?" James asked, confused as to why the blond was just staring.

"I have news."

"Kay." James sat up and Kendall hugged his knees, looking out over the cliff. "Tell me."

"Carlos decided to take the blow for you and Logan so you can be free." Kendall said quietly. James was silent, going pale. He felt horrible for the little bit of relief that washed over him.

"Oh."

"So… I'm gonna go say goodbye to him. I want you to go to the next town over and find Logan." Kendall said.

"Oh." James repeated.

"And I'll catch up with you guy in a while." Kendall lied. It was cruel, but otherwise James would stop them and turn himself in to the lab.

"Right now?"

"Yeah." Kendall nodded.

"But it can't be anywhere near three yet."

"Los' watch says 2:30."

"Damn- I slept that long?"

"I did, too."

"Okay." James got to his feet. "Guess I need to… Go say bye to Carlos then…"

* * *

"Hey, buddy." James said quietly, sitting on the fallen tree next to Carlos.

"Hi." Carlos smiled. He didn't SEEM like his fate awaited in half an hour.

"I uh… Heard what's going on." James said. "That's really brave of you. I just wish…. It wasn't this way. I'd turn myself in, but… I don't think I'd make it in time."

"It's okay. I've made peace with it. So how're you doing with Kendall?"

"Well, I know once he catches up with Logan and I he's gonna be a mess. And Logan, too. Hell, I'll be a wreck. But we'll push through."

Carlos, confused, opened his mouth to protest. But then he realized that Kendall had lied to James to make the goodbye a little easier.

"Yeah. Make sure you take care of my boys." Carlos nodded, looking away.

"And… Thanks. I know you're doing it more for Logan than me, but thanks."

"No problem." Carlos smiled lightly.

"So uh… I've been told to leave ASAP. So do I get a hug?"

Carlos laughed and stood, giving the bigger guy a long bro-hug.

"I uh- I love you, man." James smiled slightly.

"Yeah- I love you, too. In a bro/best friend way, you know?"

"Yeah. Well… Bye, Carlos. You're an awesome dude… And I'm glad we met."

"Me, too."

With that, James waved and disappeared into the woods to find Kendall nearby, crying again.

"Hey." James said quietly. Kendall jumped and turned with a sniffle as the boy approached. "It'll be okay. I'll be there for you and Logan."

Kendall allowed James to hug him as his sobs subsided.

"Make sure you take extra care of Logan."

"And you."

"But…uh… I mean when you find him."

"Yeah. I will."

Kendall backed away and took a good look at James.

"I love you." he said softly.

"I love you, too."

Kendall kissed him for a while, hungrily, soaking James up as best he could. Memorizing the taste of him, the smell of him, the feel of him, the look of him, the sounds he made.

"I'll see you in a while- right?" James asked, confused. Instead of answering, Kendall only kissed him more.

"Okay…. You'd better leave." Kendall said quietly.

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Kendall watched longingly as James ran and kicked off the ground to find Logan. He felt horrible for lying, but it was for the best.

"Hey… Uh… We should probably find somewhere to go." Carlos said quietly from behind.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Kendall… I'm so scared." Carlos whimpered as he hugged his knees in the middle of the clearing in the woods, Kendall settling in beside him.

"Don't be scared." Kendall whispered.

"I am! I'm about to die AND take my brother with me! Aren't you scared?"

"Yeah." Kendall sighed, putting a wing around Carlos protectively, and arm around his shoulders.

"It's gonna hurt."

"Not for very long. Actually, I bet you won't even feel it."

"You will. You'll get it second hand. Kendall, PLEASE go."

Kendall considered the pain he would be feeling. Probably not too much, since the explosion would kill him almost instantly.

"No. I'm here for you."

Carlos looked at his watch. 2:56. He was shaking now.

"Why didn't we try to take it out?" Kendall asked.

"Cause we were lost in love. We forgot all about it." Carlos whispered.

"You would probably die in the process."

"Yeah."Carlos nodded. "What do you think James and Logan are doing?"

"Hm… Hard to say. James is probably still looking for Logan."

"Logan's gotta be torn up. You were smart to lie to James."

"I knew it was the only way. I feel bad."

"Who knows? Maybe they'll fall in love and they'll heal each other." Carlos sighed.

"I doubt it."

"Yeah. I kinda hope so, though. I love Logan, but I know he'll have a hard time after this. And I know James will, too. They'll need each other."

"Shh- let's not talk about them. We already said goodbye to them."

"And I haven't even said goodbye to you."

"Oh, Carlos."

"My whole life as a bird-kid, you've protected me and told me what to do. And I know you tried your hardest to do that this time, and you were going to go through with it. But I had to make my own decision this time. Thanks for being an awesome brother and best friend. I love you."

"Carlos- I planned to kill myself that night after you showed up. But… You gave me hope. Gave me something to take care of and love and protect. It's been a good run. I love you, too… What time is it?"

Carlos hesitantly looked at his watch.

"2:59."

Both hearts nearly exploded with the anxiety of it all as Carlos wrapped his arms around his brother and they squeezed tight, a bundle of shaking limbs, Carlos' head buried in Kendall's chest.

"Bye, Kendall."

"Bye, Los."

They both squeezed tight and closed their eyes, breaths light and fast.

"I'll see you in a while, in heaven. Cause God loves mutants." Carlos whispered as his watch beeped, signifying the turn of the new hour.


	13. Surprise!

**Dear bmwstamps,**

**I really hate to be mean because it's just not a nice thing to do. But I was mean with the last chapter, so let's just get it all out now.**

**If you don't like my characters, deal with it! What's with you not liking Carlos? He's the fricking cutest character ever. And in "Unexpected" why don't you like Kendall? Jesus Christ, dude. You're so mean to me.**

**Love,**

**Me.**

**As for the rest of you, I'm sorry for the mean ass cliff hanger. Had to keep you on edge. :D And I'm sorry it took so long for me to post the chapters- but like I said, I didn't have a computer, plus I had to go through and edit all that. And thank you so much for all the reviews! 12 (?) chapters has 104 reviews, as of now. That's Amazing. And I can't believe how many reviews that last 2 part chapter got. I love you guys! :D**

* * *

Neither of the boys were breathing as the watch stop beeping. Why was nothing happening? Well… Maybe the watch was a few seconds ahead.

So they didn't breathe for the rest of 3:00.

And they took tiny breaths through 3:01.

And 3:02.

All the way to 3:10.

"Kendall… I'm scared to let my guard down." Carlos whispered.

So they stayed still for another twenty minutes, completely tense.

"It's a bluff." Kendall said in realization, getting to his feet. "Son of a bitch!"

"You don't know that! What if they're just mean and they decide to press the button at a random time?" Carlos argued.

"What a fantastic idea!" came a grim, evil, familiar voice from behind. Both heads snapped around to see Vincent coming in through the bushes.

"You're a sick bastard." Kendall said dangerously as Carlos got up and hid behind his brother. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Don't talk that way to your father."

"You're not my father. You're dead to me."

Carlos peeked over Kendall's shoulder to see the man he recognized at Kendall's father, standing there with two other, buff guys approaching behind him.

"What's with the guys?" Carlos whispered.

"What's with the guys?" Kendall spat to Vincent.

Suddenly there were strong hands around the bases of Carlos' wings as he was jerked backward. He let out a cry of pain, Kendall snapping around in defense mode.

"Let him go, Gordon. I'll let you know when you can help." Vincent said dismissively. Carlos was released from the huge guy's grip and he scurried to Kendall, shaking.

"Don't ever fucking touch him again." Kendall ordered, holding his brother to him.

"Hm- the experiment was a success. The flock leader is protective of those he is in charge of." Vincent observed.

"What?"

"This was a test, son." Vincent said smoothly. Both Carlos and Kendall's eyes averted to the man.

"What do you mean?" Kendall squeaked.

"Don't you think it was strange how easily you escaped the lab?"

Both boys were silent, because it WAS strange.

"Don't you think it was strange that there are four bird boys in the whole world, and they just so happen to snap together like puzzle pieces?"

More silence.

"You were made in pairs. I collaborated with a woman named Brooke Diamond to make this happen. She heard that I had made you into what you are, and she proposed an experiment."

"Which is?"

"An experiment to see if we can influence two males' hormones so that they are only attracted to ONE other male of the same species. Basically, if we can make homosexuality a scientific factor."

Kendall was silent, still in defense mode.

"W-what about me and Logan?" Carlos asked. "He was born that way."

"Yes. You're part of a different, yet similar experiment. We fucked that kid's hormones up so much- made him so aggressive and angry and closed off to everyone."

"Okay…"

"We made you to be his one weakness. His complete opposite, yet the only person he would do anything for. Logan was changed as a zygote, engineered to be a lethal weapon. Made to have no weaknesses, no soft spots, and no breaking points. But it wasn't until a year ago that we realized he NEEDED to have a weakness. So we could get him to do anything. And thus you were created."

Carlos just stared at Vincent in horror.

"And you're going crazy without him, aren't you?"

Carlos didn't answer.

"And Kendall, you're dying without your little boyfriend."

"He's lying." Kendall whispered.

"Think what you want. But you're going to help us find the other two."

"How? We're not PHYCIC." Carlos spat.

"You've got a theoretical GPS in your brain, hardwired to find that ONE birdboy you were made for."

"Wait, wait, wait. Tell us about the bomb first." Kendall interrupted.

"It's not a bomb. It's a tracker." Carlos whispered in realization. "How else would they know where we are?"

"So smart." Vincent sneered. "We were so sure Logan was going to turn himself in when he found out you would die if he didn't. Because you are his biggest weakness and he would do anything for you. But then we realized- HE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. And that's why he was so easy to convince to not leave."

"What're you gonna do once we find them?" Kendall asked.

"Gonna take you to the lab, of course. What, did you think we would want those two and just leave you two alone? No way. We have more tests. Like the sex test- which we saw already a few times."

Both brothers went ridged.

"And the fighting test. And the death test."

"What's that one?"

"The death test? Oh, it's simple really. We kill one of you off and see how the rest react. We're leaning more toward you, because Logan will no doubt do something drastic. And Kendall? Forget about it."

Kendall's arms tightened around Carlos.

"We won't go."

Suddenly the sound of a gun cocking was heard and something was pressed to the side of Kendall's head.

"Do you think I'm sorry to see my only son die? I'm not. I just have to say the word."

"We'll go." Carlos burst. "We'll find Logan and James. They're- they're that way." he pointed a finger to his right. "Just don't hurt him."

"Hm- the defensiveness is mutual." Vincent observed, and the gun was taken from Kendall's head. "Go. And remember- there's no running. I've got a tracker in you."

* * *

James finally found Logan pacing around on a gravelly rooftop in the next town over, after a long time of searching. He thought Kendall would catch up by now, but he supposed he would be there soon.

"Hey, man." James said, landing on the roof.

"Where's Kendall?" Logan asked, voice shaking, having obviously been crying.

"He's gonna catch up later. He had to say his goodbyes." James explained. Logan went still.

"And he's still not here?" he asked.

"Guess not."

"James… Oh, James…" Logan said, pained, stepping back.

"What?"

"He's not coming." Logan said softly, eyes full of sorrow. "He stayed with Carlos to die with him."

James' face hardened.

"Shut the hell up, Logan. That's not funny." he growled.

"I wish I was trying to be funny." Logan said, looking away. "But you know how Kendall is about Carlos. And I think you know I'm right about this."

"No dammit! Your boyfriend can be dead, but you're gonna have to deal with it! Don't bring me down with you, you bastard!" James said, stepping away defensively. "Kendall wouldn't lie about that!"

"Fine. If he's not back by the end of the day…"

"I hate you! Fucking hate you! Jesus!" James exploded, whirling around to sit on the edge of the building.

Logan didn't care that James was mad. James didn't mean a lot to him, and besides- he was too caught up in the fact that it was past three o'clock and his boyfriend was dead. And James'.

And besides that, Logan had a massive migraine and his stomach felt like it was being slashed open and torn apart. Maybe he was just hungry…

* * *

Kendall was silent as he and Carlos flew. They both knew exactly where they were going, based on the pull.

"What if we separated? I'm the only one with a tracker and Logan already thinks I'm dead. They'd find me and by then you and James and Logan will have been long gone. You could find your mom and get me out of the lab, if that's where they take me."

"It's too risky. What if they just kill you?"

"They'll demand I find you guys, and you'll be at your mom's house by then. And you guys can have the cops there and your mom'll kick his ass for what he did to you." Carlos said. "And they won't kill me. I'm Logan's only weakness, remember? And he's a lethal weapon. They need me."

Kendall looked over at his brother, thinking.

"So we have to hurry up and find them. So Logan'll know I'm alive and you guys can haul ass to wherever you need to go. I'll stay wherever they were and wait."

"How will we find my mom?"

"Yellowpages."

Kendall gave him a confused look.

"Logan'll know how to find her. He's smart and he knows what he's doing."

"Are you sure about this?" Kendall asked quietly.

"There's no danger. It's a great plan- we'll all get out alive. I promise." Carlos assured. "I know you think I'm a dipshit sometimes, but you know I'm smarter than I lead on to be."

Kendall nodded, still nervous about the plan, but knew they were close to James and Logan.

* * *

James was beginning to believe in Logan's theory. That Kendall had stayed to die with his brother. He loved that Kendall was so noble… But if James had known that was the plan, he would have been more serious about the goodbye.

"Why did he lie to me?" James asked, looking out over the buildings from the edge of the one he and Logan were on now. Logan had been curled up in a ball for about an hour now, numb, and crying silently here and there.

Logan sighed, feeling a little bit of pity for this guy, and sat beside him.

"Cause it made it easier to say goodbye." he murmured. "I kinda wish Carlos had done that, you know? It would have been more painful when I realized he wasn't coming back, but at least it wouldn't be so damn hard to say goodbye."

James was silent.

"So… Does this mean you're accepting it?"

"No. I'll never accept it. I didn't even see or hear or feel an explosion. And besides… What if Kendall just got lost and can't find us?" James reasoned. Logan noted the hint of fear in James' voice, but said nothing.

"I guess."

Suddenly Logan's breath caught and his legs brought him upright on the edge of the building.

"What the-?" James began, but suddenly his head cocked to the faint sound of a familiar voice.

"It's impossible." Logan whispered to himself, head jerking about as his ears picked up the voice, too, but louder than what James was able to hear. "This is NOT the time to suddenly develop an imagination, Logan."

But suddenly there were fast footsteps behind them. Logan, without even looking, whirled around and accepted the little body into his arms.

His arms looped around Carlos' armpits and clutched the little Latino to him, the scent overwhelming him. His stomachache and migraine were immediately relieved at the touch.

"What the hell is going on?" Logan whispered voice shaky. "Did I finally go over the edge?"

"Shh." Carlos shushed, just enjoying the embrace.

"I knew it! I knew you weren't dead!" James said happily, easily picking up his boyfriend in a hug and whirling him around. Kendall laughed and kissed James' cheek. Maybe he shouldn't tell James that he almost was dead. Now wasn't the time.

"Of course I'm not, silly." he smiled as his bones were nearly crushed and he was back on his feet. James' lips were now placing quick and dramatic kisses all over Kendall's face.

"You scared me. Logan said you stayed with Carlos to die with him, but I knew you would have told me if you did that." James explained after finishing with the kisses.

"I'm here." Kendall said, giving a generic answer. James didn't care, though, as he smiled and hugged Kendall once again. James hated to admit it, but he really was starting to accept that Kendall was dead.

"What about Carlos?" James asked, suddenly confused, as he realized that Logan and Carlos were just beside them in a silent but powerful embrace.

"The bomb was a bluff." Kendall said. "I'll explain more later. Los, we have to get a move on."

Carlos pulled away from Logan, eyes serious.

"Kendall will explain everything, but right now I need you to go and call Yellowpages and find Jennifer Knight. You have to go to her house and- gosh, I don't have time! Just go."

"What? NO! I just got you back."

"Logan, once this is all over I'll give you unlimited hugs and kisses until we die. But you have to trust me. Okay? Do you trust me?"

Logan's mouth was agape in confusion, but as he studied his boyfriend he realized the seriousness behind the matter.

"Of course." he answered. Carlos smiled a little and lifted up a little to give Logan a quick, yet hungry kiss.

"Now go." he said, shoving Logan toward the edge of the building, where Kendall and James had already jumped.


	14. Action and Mushiness and Awesome

**Dear SuperNeos2, **

**Yeah, I'll totally check out your story. :D**

**And if anyone else has any good reads to recommend, let me know. They're a little hard to find sometimes. **

**Dear keynote123,**

**Gosh, will you marry me? Okay. Meet me at the park Friday at seven with a ring you got from the gumball machine. Oh wait, I'll be at BTR at that time.**

**Just meet me at the concert with the ring and we'll get married there. Is it a plan? Okay.**

**And yes. I want a trophy. I'll hold you to it. Just bring it Friday when we get married.**

**I love the way you ramble, cause I ramble, too. I'm pretty sure we ARE the same person.**

**Congratulations, sir or ma'am, you've made it to my "Supertastic Super Six Favorite Reviewers List", even though there aren't six. And did I say super twice? You bet I did.**

**Okay. Imma shut up now, cause I'm sure everyone who's reading this is getting annoyed and jelly, cause we're totes in love now.**

**Dear Everyone Else,**

**I'm sorry I let the bitch in me get out in the last chapter. bmwstamps is one of my top reviewers, and even though they say rude stuff, they still read even my shittiest stories. So yeah.**

**Dear bmwstamps,**

**Sorry I'm a bitch.**

* * *

Carlos sat on the edge of the building, humming to himself, waiting.

He wasn't scared. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Once he was found, Vincent and the guys would be confused. Carlos would come up with some lie as to why the guys were gone, and be told to find them. Carlos would lead them around for an hour of two before following the pull to Logan at Kendall's mom's house. The cops would be there, they'd take Vincent and his goons away, and all would be well.

But gosh, he missed Logan. It had only been an hour since he last saw the boy, but he hated being away from him. After this, they'd have a lot of cuddling and hugs and kisses to catch up on.

The door behind Carlos was opened and there were footsteps through the gravel as Vincent came into the scene, having climbed the stairs to the roof.

"Oh, hey." Carlos smiled, getting up and dusting off his butt.

"You little asswipe." Vincent sneered, and with a swift sweep of his foot, Carlos was on his ass in the gravel. The man then dragged him away by the bases of his wings, Carlos struggling to get to his feet but failing as he was dragged down the stairs like a sack of potatoes.

* * *

Logan was connected to the phone number down for Jennifer Knight, and he handed the pay phone to Kendall. James had his ear pressed to the other side of the phone, hearing the slight dial tone.

The line was then picked up.

"Hello?" It sounded like a teenage girl.

"Um… Hi. My name is Kendall." Kendall said, not knowing what else to say.

"Okay?"

"Um… Is Mom there?"

The girl was silent, obviously confused.

"Are you some sort of creeper or something?"

"No. It's just… Is this Katie?"

"Uh- okay. Bye, then." The girl said quickly.

"No! Don't hang up!" Kendall pleaded. "Please, just let me talk to your mom."

Logan fed another quarter into the phone so that it wouldn't cut off.

"Okay. Fine."

The line was silent before a woman answered.

"Hi… Is this Jennifer Knight?" Kendall asked.

"Why yes it is. Who's this?" the woman sounded peppy and nice.

"It's Kendall."

The woman was silent for a while.

"Is this some sort of a sick joke?"

"No! I'm your son!"

"My son drowned fifteen years ago." The woman said angrily.

"No! No, it's me! I'm not dead- I- Mom- I-"

The line was silent again as Jennifer Knight went pale. She knew that slight whine in that voice. It was a much deeper voice than that of her four year old son, but it was the same. The way he said "Mom", the way he pleaded when in distress.

"Mom… I'm in danger. Where are you?"

"What kind of danger?"

"Danger of being taken back to the lab." Kendall explained. "I don't have time- please? I have to find you. You're the only way me and my friends can be safe."

And then something clicked in Jennifer's brain. Of course Kendall wasn't dead. It was peculiar that there was no body found in the lake after the "accident"- they had to have just a memorial service. "Taken back to the lab"- that's what stuck. He was in a lab this whole time… But-

"Mom…" Kendall whimpered. He didn't know this woman hardly at all, and would be surprised if she gave him her address, but she made him feel safe just by the tone in her voice.

And she DID give him her address and directions to her house.

"So… You believe me?" Kendall asked once Logan had jotted everything down.

"A mother never forgets the way her baby cries." Jennifer said softly. "And I dunno what's going on, but come home, baby."

The line then went dead and James took the phone and hung up.

"C'mon. We need to hurry." he said softly, kissing Kendall's hair gingerly.

"Hey! Get the fuck offa me!" Logan growled. Both Kendall and James' head snapped his way to see Logan shoving a huge guy away from him. Then both cried in pain as the bases of their wings were grabbed and tugged backward. Funny smelling rags were put over their mouths and noses, and suddenly everything was black.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL!" Logan yelled, planting a knee right in a guy's crotch, who was trying for his wings. James and Kendall were tossed into a sketchy looking van.

"Heeeeere, birdie, birdie, birdie." Another big guy sang, coming at Logan with a rag. He attempted to put the rag over Logan's mouth and nose, but Logan fought it.

But suddenly there was a sting in the front part of his shoulder. He looked down to see a professional looking dart. He stumbled, vision tunneling, but still stood.

"Damn. Lethal weapon indeed. That's a god damn elephant tranquilizer." A man snorted as Logan yanked the dart from his shoulder. Logan's eyes blinked rapidly as he swayed, but took at step toward the men.

But the man who made the remark reached into his pocket and retrieved something. Something white… Logan's eyes struggled to focus.

It was a white feather, about six inches long, between the man's index and middle finger.

"Just give in, 'Pit'." he said, twirling the feather in his fingers. "Your little Mexican is waiting."

"He's- not- Mexican." Logan managed, but his knees then gave out, and his body went limp on the concrete.

* * *

Logan was out cold for hours after the others woke up.

"I think he's dead." James said, staring at Logan, sprawled out on the "bed" in the cell.

"He could be! He got shot with an ELEPHANT dart!" Carlos squeaked.

"He's not dead. No weaknesses, remember?" Kendall assured. "Just- tell him to wake up."

"Think that would work?"

"Worth a try."

Carlos sat on the bed beside Logan hesitantly.

"Or maybe a kiss would wake him up." James sniggered.

"Piiiiit…" Carlos sang, poking the sleeping boy's shoulder. "Wake uuuuuuuuuup."

Logan was still except the slight rise and fall of his chest.

"WAKE UP!" Carlos exclaimed. Logan remained still, so Carlos turned to James and Kendall, worried. "What if he's in a coma?"

"Don't worry, Los… They wouldn't let him die. He's important." Kendall assured, leaning his head sleepily on James' shoulder from the other bed.

Suddenly there was a beep and the door opened. Vincent entered coolly.

"Hello, boys. I see our little Logan is still out."

"He's dead!" Carlos whimpered.

"Oh, please. He's not dead." Vincent said, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, kiddies. Time for work!"

The boys were still as Kendall reached an arm over James' lap protectively.

"Okay. Let me rephrase that. C'mon, Kiddies- time for work. Or else the death test is coming early."

"You're bluffing." Kendall spat.

Suddenly a handgun was whipped out of Vincent's lab coat pocket and pointed to Carlos' temple. Carlos' eyes got wide with fear, staring at his brother.

Kendall got up slowly and James followed, Kendall always in front of him.

But nothing in Vincent's eyes changed. Instead of taking the gun away, he cocked it and put his finger on the trigger.

Carlos let out a yelp of terror, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Hey!" James growled. "We're going!"

"Help me." Carlos squeaked. "God loves mutants- God loves mutants- God loves-"

"What the hell're you doing, asshole?" Came a familiar growl. The pressure on Carlos' head was released and he looked up to see Logan holding the gun, pointing it at Vincent. How the hell did that happen?

"What the-?" Carlos was puzzled.

"Get up." Logan ordered, and Carlos got up and was shoved to stand behind Logan now.

Logan's eyes were firry on Vincent's but he would never admit that he felt like face-planting on the ground. He tried hard to keep from wobbling.

"I'm getting real sick of your shit." Logan snapped. "I could just shoot you and all our problems would be solved."

"Yeah? Gonna shoot me?" Vincent challenged.

"If he doesn't, I will." said a woman in the doorway, a gun of her own in her hands, pointed at Vincent's head.

"J-Jennifer. Sweetheart." Vincent said softly, eyes wide. Kendall's breath caught in realization. That little redhead was his mother. And she came to save him.

There was the sound of heavy boots pounding down hallways, a bunch of yelling, some crashes, and suddenly there was a policeman pushing past Jennifer. Vincent's eyes widened.

"You- you called the cops on me?" he squeaked.

"I had no idea you were doing experiments on HUMANS. That's ILLEGAL, Vincent. And you took our son- and did God knows what to him." Jennifer said lowering the gun as Vincent was restrained by the policeman. "This is a sick operation… And you needed to be taken down."

Kendall turned, eyes wide in surprise, to James, who grinned at the face the boy made. Logan dropped his gun on the bed, but remained in front of Carlos.

"That's my mom." Kendall whispered in awe. James smiled and hugged him lightly as Kendall turned to watch Vincent be lead out of the room in cuffs, looking confused and paralyzed.

Mrs. Knight's eyes swept over to Kendall, James' arms around him loosely from behind.

"My baby." she whispered. James let go of Kendall so that the blond could approach his mother, who wasted no time in hugging him tight around the torso.

The woman was so small in Kendall's arms, so skinny and frail. She hugged him for a long time, deaf to the sound of policemen arresting scientists around them.

She finally backed away, eyes bright as she touched his face.

"Gosh- last I saw you, you only came up to my hips." she sniffled. "You're so tall. And- and your face has changed so much. Oh, but the eyes are the same. But you know, last time I saw you… You weren't half bird."

She scurried behind him to run her skinny fingers over his warm feathers.

"Oh- Mom-"

"Oh, and you still call me Mom." she melted as her son faced her again.

"Of course I do. You're my mom." Kendall smiled, taking her under his arm. "This is my scientifically engineered boyfriend, James. It's a long story, but yeah."

Mrs. Knight smiled and stepped forward to hug James.

"And this is my brother, Carlos." Kendall introduced Carlos, who was ready with his arms spread.

"No- I don't remember popping this one out." Mrs. Knight said hesitantly, inspecting Carlos.

"Oh, you don't? I remember it." Carlos said smartly.

"He lived in the lab with me for a while- we got really close and I consider him my brother now." Kendall explained.

"Oh. Okay." Mrs. Knight smiled, hugging Carlos. Carlos accepted it willingly, rocking her happily.

"And Mom, this is Logan. AKA, Pit. He's MY scientifically engineered boyfriend." Carlos said proudly, then leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "He's a lethal weapon."

Although he was confused, Logan held out a hand for her to shake.

"Oh, you're just adorable, aren't you?" Mrs. Knight giggled, hugging him against his will.

"He is." Carlos agreed.

"Okay, I guess we should get out of here." Mrs. Knight said, stepping back and fixing her clothes. "Before they try to take you away and question you guys."

"Wait- you're taking us, too?" James asked.

"Well yeah. I couldn't leave behind my extra son and sons-in-law." Mrs. Knight smiled. "C'mon. Let's hurry."

After picking up their bags from outside of the door, they walked fast through the hallways of the big laboratory, where the remnants of scientists were being taken out. Pictures were being taken of humans in cells, with different mutations given to them. Some of the patients were being lead out of the lab. There was broken glass and overturned shelves everywhere. Kendall spied his mother's face turning pained. He wasn't sure if it was because her husband had been arrested or because her son had lived in a place like this for the majority of his life. Maybe it was both.

* * *

Kendall looked down at the teenage girl before him, standing with her arms crossed, looking up at him. She was small and skinny, like her mom, but had dark hair and eyes. She looked like a complete sass master, and that was proven as soon as she opened her mouth.

"And who're these losers?" she asked boredly.

"Katie!" Mrs. Knight scolded, but the girl just looked like she had no regrets. "This. Is your big brother. Kendall. Kendall, honey, this is your baby sister, Katie."

Katie's brows raised.

"I thought he was dead."

"I did, too." Mrs. Knight said, hugging her son's side happily. "But- oh, it's such a long story, that I don't know all of. But he's not."

"I knew that story was too sketchy to be true." Katie said, then looked up at her brother. "Like, how does a four-year-old's body just DISAPPEAR in a lake?"

"Yeah… That was a lie." Kendall nodded.

Katie's eyes drifted up to James behind him, who was looking all around the huge house with interest.

"Who's that?" she asked, almost googly eyed.

"He's my boyfriend, James."

"My brother's gay?"

"Scientifically." Carlos said smartly. Katie's head snapped his way in confusion.

"And that's Carlos. He's my pretend brother. I guess yours, too." Kendall explained. "And then there's Logan- his boyfriend."

"You're ALL gay?"

"Katie!" Mrs. Knight scolded. "I'm sorry, honey. She's got a mouth on her."

"Yeah, we're all gay. And you're STRAIGHT? Gross." James piped up. Katie looked up at him, brows raised, then she actually smirked.

"He's a keeper." she said.

"Hear that? I'm a keeper." James said excitedly.

"So… What about your parents?" Mrs. Knight asked, meaning business.

"I'm an orphan." Carlos piped up. "Just saying."

"I have no idea." James said. "I wasn't planning on going back. And my mom doesn't seem too concerned about it."

Kendall wanted to tell James about his mom being in on everything, but decided it wasn't the time. He also wanted to tell Logan about how his mom was probably in on making her son a lethal weapon from the womb, but didn't want to drag down the mood.

"Same." Logan said quietly.

"Fantastic." Mrs. Knight smiled. "You know, you're all adults, so there's no custody stuff if you wanted to stay here, but right now, I'll show you to your rooms."

As she lead them up the stairs, Kendall noticed all the pictures of him on the walls. Him as a child, before his "death".

"Awe- look at the cute wittle Kenny." Carlos cooed behind Kendall, who slapped him lightly.

"Oh, he had the cutest dimples. And his eyes- just like his daddy's." her voice trailed off as she said "daddy".

"Look, Mom, it's fine to talk about him. Like, he was just a normal husband to you before today- it would be hard to just forget him. Like, yeah, I hate him. But I know you don't."

"I'm just glad he's locked up for what he did to you." she said as they reached the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath as everyone else caught up.

"Woah." Carlos whispered excitedly. At the top of the stairs was a circle with railing around it. In the middle of the circle were the stairs and a chandelier, and along the circular wall were six doors.

"Obviously that one is taken." Mrs. Knight said, pointing across the circle to a white door that had caution tape on it. "That's Katie's room. And right there is the bathroom. But all the other rooms are fair game- don't get physical about it. And there WILL be a time where you all have to be in your rooms. No spooning- hear me?"

"Awe." Carlos pouted, already comfortable with his new mother. She grinned and slapped his shoulder as she went for the stairs. "I'll start dinner- you guys just get settled in. We'll have to buy beds, but that's okay. We have air mattresses. And you guys can tell Katie and me your stories at dinner. Sound okay?"

"Oh- Mom? Bad news." Kendall said seriously, stopping her.

"What?" she asked, eyes wide, fearing some fatal news.

"Carlos and James and Logan eat a lot." he said. "Like- a LOT."

"Oh, that's fine." she said, hand over her chest. "You scared me."

"Sorry."

Kendall turned to say something to the guys, but found that they were already gone.

"Your mom… She's really great." Came a voice behind Kendall, making the blond jump. "I mean… We're three complete strangers. And she's… Letting us live here no questions asked."

"Go pick out a room, man." Kendall smirked.

"I think Carlos already picked one for me." Logan laughed as he watched Carlos dart out of the bedroom he picked for himself.

"Pit, we could totally do Morse code at night! This is so cool!" the Latino mused. Logan smiled hugely at the boy before going to join him.

"Pst!" Kendall's head snapped to James, who was on his stomach on the floor of a bedroom. At the top of the stairs was a big bathroom, then going right along the circle was Logan's room, Carlos', Katie's, James', then Kendall's chosen rooms.

"What're you doing?" Kendall giggled, walking over to his boyfriend.

"The carpet is SO SOFT!" James mused, rubbing his face on the shag.

"You're so cute."

"How is this house so big? Katie had an entire FLOOR to herself."

Kendall got to his stomach on the floor, admiring the carpet, too.

"Cause my bastard of a father makes like millions of dollars a year just for being a bastard."

"Oh."

"But I don't have to worry about him anymore."

James smiled and laid his cheek on the floor to look at Kendall.

"We made it through that mess in one piece." James said in awe.

Kendall laid his own cheek on the floor, and told James all about what Vincent told him and Carlos about them being scientifically compatible.

"Really? So… Does that mean out love isn't real?" James asked, hazel eyes full of worry.

"I'm a lethal weapon?" Logan asked in confusion from the doorway.

"You're not so good at hide and seek, are you?" Carlos giggled, scampering up to him.

"Why didn't you tell me I'm practically invincible?" Logan squeaked.

"I didn't have time." Carlos pouted. "Are you mad?"

"Gosh- I totally get it now!" Logan said, eyes wide. "Los, it disturbs me that YOU are the only thing on earth that can kill me."

"I wouldn't kill you, silly." Carlos smiled cutely. "And I think it's sexy, you know? Like- you're my big, strong protector guy."

Logan smirked and pulled Carlos in to plant a kiss on his lips.

"Anyway-" James said slowly, turning his attention back to Kendall.

"No. Our love isn't FAKE. It's realer than if you went out and found two newlyweds. Even if it IS scientific and it's provoked, you can't possibly find more real love in the whole world. Cause besides Logan and Carlos, we're the only couple of our kind- who has a perfect other half."

James smiled a little.

"And if anything, it should be reassurance. Cause if I ever tried to leave you, I'd slowly deteriorate and die until I came back." Kendall said smartly.

"Really? Deteriorate and die?"

"Well no. Probably not. But I bet there'd be side effects."

"There weren't any earlier."

"I bet we weren't apart long enough to feel anything."

"Yeah."

"James, will you play hide and seek with me?" Carlos whined. "SOMEONE doesn't love me enough to play."

James jumped up excitedly.

"Where are you gonna hide? All the rooms are empty." Logan said smartly as Kendall got to his feet.

"It's called imagination." Carlos retorted.

"Okay, standing in the middle of a room with your hands over your eyes doesn't make you invisible." Logan reminded Carlos.

"Sure it does. If I tell you it does." Carlos giggled, kissing Logan's cheek quickly before he and James scampered off. Logan rolled his eyes and turned to Kendall.

"Our boys." Kendall smirked. "C'mon, Logan. Let's play."

And so Kendall dragged the boy off to play hide and seek in the empty rooms, where the only places to hide were the closets. But they didn't care. They had no worries anymore.

* * *

**One. More. Chapter.**

**If I missed any loose ends, which I know I probably did because there are so many, tell me and I'll tie those suckers in the next chapter.**

**So after I make a sentence of dialogue, should the next word that's not dialogue be capitalized? Like in "My name is Bob." he said. Should "he" be capitalized or not? Microsoft Word seems to think so, but I've always done it uncapitalized. Anyone?**

**And I think I'm gonna do another version of this. Maybe a few, actually. Like, not EXACTLY this. Maybe different couples and different background stories and different personalities. So if you have any ideas, let me know in a review or a PM and I'll pick one. Or maybe I'll mix a few. :D Doomedphsyx2030 already gave me an awesome idea, but I'm open. :D**


	15. The End?

**My Wifey keynote123,**

**Imagine us. In paradise. Somewhere only we know. **

**And in that place. We'll live our lives.**

**We're so untouchable.**

**Come run away with me.**

**I'm pretty sure I had a seizure when I read your review. I will find you. And I will marry you. Even though you didn't come marry me on stage Friday with a plastic ring. It's okay. :D I know you still love me.**

**Love,**

**Your Wifey**

* * *

"They're finally dying off." Logan grumbled, turning to look out the window of the living room from the couch.

"I don't understand why I can't go out and pose for them," James pouted from his place on the floor where he and Carlos were playing an Xbox game. "They love me!"

Kendall rolled his eyes at his boyfriend as he stared at the article on the computer screen, which was all about THEM. Pictures of the guys flying and James posing for the paparazzi littered the article, which told readers the guys' life stories. After they revealed themselves, the paparazzi had been everywhere. James loved it; however it pissed everyone else off to no end.

"They don't love you. They love me. Cause I'm adorable." Carlos sang, making James shoulder him.

"Yeah, you're adorable. But I'm SEXY. And sexy overpowers adorable any day." James said proudly.

"Not if 'adorable' does THIS," Carlos' character in the game killed James', ending the game.

"YOU LITTLE PRICK!" James growled, tackling Carlos to the carpet.

"Hey! You're gonna break something and Mama Knight is gonna be PISSED." Logan warned.

"What was that, Logan?" Mrs. Knight called from the kitchen. The guys weren't used to not being allowed to cuss at any time, and she called them out about it a lot.

"I meant you'd be MAD. Sorry!"

But still Carlos and James tumbled around on the floor.

"Someone should break them up." Kendall said, not looking up from the laptop.

"They're just playing. They're like puppies." Logan reasoned, getting up. With that, he pulled James clear off of Carlos and to his feet.

"I'm the only one who's allowed to be on top of him." Logan said seriously, shoving James toward the couch and helping Carlos to his feet.

"HA! Adorable wins again." Carlos said gallantly.

"Adorable always wins." Logan smirked. "Cause it's hard to cuddle with SEXY."

"I beg to differ." Kendall said coolly.

"Yeah, I do it all the time." Carlos said casually. Logan giggled and punched him lightly.

"Carlos, dishes, now!" Mama Knight called from the hallway, where she was going to her room to change into her PJ's.

"Awe." Carlos groaned.

"I'll help!" James offered, jumping up.

"I think not," Kendall said, pulling him back down and putting the computer aside. "That never ends well and you know it."

It was true. Any time James and Carlos did anything it ended in wrestling or fighting or an attempted pillow over the face that night. It was all play, but it annoyed Mrs. Knight.

"I've got someone sexy-ER to help me." Carlos sneered, tugging Logan to the kitchen.

Katie was in the kitchen doing homework on the table.

"Hehe. Homework," Carlos said slyly, "Sucker."

"You're a butthole, Carlos," Katie whined, "Help me! You're the only one that went to school."

"Doesn't mean I'm good at Algebra 2." Carlos snorted as he opened the dishwasher. "Help her, Pit. I know you're good at that shit."

Logan attempted to help Katie with her Algebra 2 while Carlos unloaded the dishwasher, but he and Katie butted heads a lot. They were too much alike to get along too well, was the consensus, but Logan still tried sometimes. Finally Katie got mad and told Logan to go away, so he did.

"Uh- nuh uh," Logan laughed as Carlos stood readily at the dishwasher, "I washed last time. My turn to load."

"I'll load you." Carlos grumbled, turning to the sink.

"Do it. Right here on the counter." Logan whispered teasingly.

"I'll load my fist up your asshole!" Carlos challenged, lips a line as he and Logan faced each other. He hated it when Logan turned what he said into a sexual innuendo. Sometimes he was being serious about something. But he had to admit, he twisted everyone else's words, too, so he couldn't be too mad.

"That sounds nice." Logan growled playfully as Carlos got angrier and closer to Logan.

"Logan!" Carlos pleaded, "I'm trying to be intimidating!"

"Oh, I'm scared," Logan assured, "Scared that you called me by my real name."

"That's it! No kisses for the rest of the night!" Carlos said angrily, crossing his arms and turning away. Logan giggled and turned on the water and put soap into the plugged up sink.

"Get a room!" Katie whined, picking up her books and hurrying away.

"You're not mad at me. You can't be mad at me." Logan insisted, kissing Carlos' cheek from behind.

"I am!"

"What if I do this?" Logan asked and turned to the sink. Carlos turned toward him as Logan scooped up some bubbles and put them on his face to make a bubble beard.

"How come you're only a goofball for me? Everyone else thinks you're an asshole, and they turn around and you're giving yourself a bubble beard." Carlos laughed a little.

"C'mere, give Santa a kiss." Logan said in a deep voice, puckering up his lips dramatically.

"Pit!" Carlos giggled, backing away as Logan approached. Logan knew Carlos was playing, too, because otherwise he would have called him Logan.

James entered the kitchen swiftly and stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene.

"Oh. Hey." He said awkwardly as Logan stared at him.

"I will smother you in your sleep if you breathe a word about this." Logan said darkly. Carlos giggled and grabbed a dishtowel.

"Allow me, darling." He said as he wiped the bubbles from Logan's face and James just slowly walked away.

As James entered the living room, he noticed that Kendall had gotten a blanket and curled up beneath it on the couch as he flipped through the channels.

"Did you get the popcorn?" Kendall asked.

"No. I'm scarred forever." James said, eyes wide, as he sat.

"Why?" Kendall cuddled up to James and shared the blankets.

"I'm not allowed to talk about it," James said, "But let's just say Logan's a WAY different person around Carlos."

"YOU'RE BREATHING WORDS!" Logan called from the kitchen.

"Will you sleep with me tonight? Otherwise Logan's gonna smother me with a pillow." James pouted.

"Why, of course, my love," Kendall said nobly, "I shall smother you with kisses instead."

"My Knight in shining armor." James said dramatically.

"Always with the puns," Kendall giggled, reaching up to caress James' cheek, "So cute."

With that they met halfway in a sweet kiss, which lead to another, and another.

"Always with the kissing." Mrs. Knight groaned as she entered the room.

"Mom! We have to kiss or we'll die." Kendall retorted, but he and James didn't move.

"I don't think so." Mrs. Knight said. Kendall sighed and they parted, turning to the TV.

"I can feel myself- perishing." James said dramatically as he fell into Kendall's lap. "I am slain!"

"You killed him, Mom!" Kendall squeaked. Mrs. Knight rolled her eyes and picked up her knitting. "I'll save you, honeybiscuit!"

With that, Kendall leaned forward to dramatically kiss all over James' face, James giggling and cringing because it always tickled when Kendall did that.

"I'm alive! I'm alive!" James laughed.

"Thank God! I thought I lost my darling!"

James loved this side of Kendall. A lot of times the blond was serious about everything, but sometimes, like now, he got really playful and sarcastic and fun.

"Is 'The Bachelor' on?" Mrs. Knight asked, ignoring the little show her son had put on. James and Kendall groaned at the same time, and Kendall turned it on.

"Jennifer Knight. Has four of the most unique men in the world living in her house, bores them with 'The Bachelor' and doesn't even let them kiss to pass the time." James said in mock disappointment. "Shame."

"Shame." Kendall agreed.

"Fine! Then go upstairs if you're so bored." Jennifer gave in. "But you know the rules. And if you go flying, you know those rules, too."

"Rules, rules. We're MEN, Mama Knight." James whined as he and Kendall got up.

"You certainly SOUND like a man." Jennifer giggled.

There were only a few rules for a couple being alone upstairs. One; doors open. Two; no sex. Three; one person in the bathroom at one time. Sure, Mrs. Knight couldn't stop them from having sex. But she DID threaten to kick them out if they were caught. Simply because it was disturbing to her and Katie to think about that, even though the boys are scientifically drawn to that action. But when all four of them were up there, there weren't so many worries.

When they flew, there were a few more serious rules. One; always tell Mama Knight when you leave. Two; be back by dark. Three; always have a buddy, or at least someone who knows where you'll be. Four; if you're running away, you'd better call. Five; don't go out the windows, just use the door.

Basically all Kendall and James did were get into James' big, soft bed and cuddle. It was something James was too impatient and hyper for for a while, but he learned to like it. Carlos was the opposite, crazy enough. He loved cuddling so much, most of the time it was Logan who got impatient.

Down in the kitchen, the dishes were done.

"It's snowing! Look, Pit! It's snowing!" Carlos squealed, pointing excitedly out the window above the sink. It had been snowing for the past two days, but Carlos always loved to point it out.

"I see that."

"Can we go play?" Carlos asked.

"It's cold out there." Logan groaned.

"But… I thought we could make a snowman together." Carlos pouted. Logan sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Okay. Just go see if Kendall and James wanna come, too." Logan lightly tapped Carlos' ass as the boy scampered away, just cause he could.

* * *

"James, I swear to God you're dying tonight." Logan growled angrily after an icy snowball exploded over his black wings, from James' direction. He hated to admit that James was just like Carlos, because like most other people, James annoyed the shit out of Logan. But he annoyed Kendall and Carlos, too, they yelled at him, beat him up, and they still loved him. Logan supposed James was a good guy. And he kept Carlos busy when Logan didn't feel like it.

"Come at me, bro!" James taunted. That was the last straw, and Logan just charged at the bigger guy. James was stunned as he was brought down in the snow onto his stomach, Logan on his knees on James' back, grounding the boy's face into the snow.

"Pit! You're gonna kill him!" Carlos groaned. He secretly loved when Logan got this way, because it always ended in a pumped up and happy Logan.

"Good! He's a little cock-sucker!" Logan retorted.

"What do you have against cock suckers?" Carlos pouted, making Logan laugh and let go of the back of James' head.

He was caught off guard when he was tackled from the side and was rolling around with someone in the snow. The rolling finally stopped and Logan was on his back, Kendall sitting on him triumphantly in his grey beanie.

"Mess with my man, you're goin' down." Kendall smirked. Logan struggled, so Kendall put his knees on the boy's wrists.

"Los! Help me!" Logan called, still struggling. He wasn't used to being overpowered.

"C'mon, Kendall! Get offa him- he promised me a snowman!" Carlos called. Kendall's eyes narrowed.

"Suck-up." He said, sticking out his tongue but not getting up.

"Get the hell offa me or I'll cut yours AND your boyfriend's throats." Logan said darkly.

"Don't listen to em. All he ever does is threaten me, and I'm still alive. And I have something to use against him now." James laughed evilly.

"Little do you know, I'm actually plotting your deaths as we speak!" Logan began struggling angrily now, Kendall laughing and holding him down.

Carlos and James sat nearby, just watching and laughing, when suddenly both Kendall and Logan stopped moving and their heads cocked.

"What the-?" James began, but Kendall's finger shot out in the universal and familiar sign to both James and Carlos that says "shut the hell up for two seconds".

What Kendall and Logan heard was the faintest of noises, that even their sharp senses could barely hear. There were two people in the house- Katie and Mrs. Knight. So why did they hear a third set of footsteps?

They both moved at the same time, bolting for the house. Kendall jerked on the door, but was locked. There was NO extra key, because Mrs. Knight was afraid of intruders. The gate to the back yard was locked, too.

"IT'S LOCKED!" Kendall said in a panic.

"Stand back." Logan said, and Kendall, along with the now-joining James and Carlos, stood back. Logan pulled back a leg and brought it forward in a powerful kick that was supposed to bring the door down. Instead, Logan's leg nearly snapped and he fell backward into Carlos.

Kendall was already gone, flying to the roof where the upstairs windows were.

He scrambled to every window, seeing nobody. Not even Katie. He finally dropped to see James searching the windows of the downstairs part.

"Where are they?" Carlos squeaked. And yet again Logan's and Kendall's heads cocked and their fingers shot out.

"A van." Logan stated, and he and Kendall took off running, James and Carlos following. Kendall took flight first, raiding the area for a van. It was hard to spot, even with his heightened sense of sight, but he spotted a whit van driving through the snow. He didn't wait for the others to catch up before he began torpedoing toward the van. He had a feeling that van was significant.

His wings were cold, his joints stiff, so it was hard for Kendall to land on the roof of the van effectively. But he did, and as soon as he did he peered into the windshield.

Ice filled Kendall's stomach and his heart stopped at what he saw next. Vincent was driving the van- a malicious grin on his face. And behind him were Katie and Mrs. Knight, tied up and gagged, looking at Kendall in a panic.

A sharp left right turn was taken and Kendall went skidding off of the van and onto the snowy road, rolling with the momentum.

The blond laid there, eyes wide, shivering.

Vincent had Mama Knight and Katie. What were his plans? Kendall couldn't let them get hurt.

It took only a minute for the others to catch up.

"Oh my god. Are you hurt?" James asked, getting to his knees and petting Kendall's hair.

"Probably."

"What happened?" Logan asked.

And so Kendall told them about who was in the car. And all eyes were wide in terror by the end of it. No longer were there goofy smiles and lion-cub-like playing. It was all serious now.

"I thought he was in jail!" James squeaked.

"He was," Logan nodded. "What the hell is going on?"

"What if he does the same thing to them as he did to me?" Kendall asked, eyes wide.

"Don't worry. We'll get them back," Carlos assured. "No matter what it takes."

* * *

**A lot of you guys requested a sequel, so here you go. :D A setup for a sequel.**

**I'll give you a sneak-peak, too.**

**It's gonna be about the guys living in a lab and Vincent doing all those tests he was talking about on them. Not gonna say much else, but it's gonna be intense. And you guys get mad if I don't warn you, but I don't THINK there will be death. And the summary probably won't say anything about it being a sequel, cause that scares new readers away, you know? But it'll be by me and it'll be about birdkids, I think you can figure it out.**

**But did you guys like this ending? :D**

* * *

**And, totally extra JMLHCPKSfan info, don't have to read, but I gots some bragging to do. I went to see BTR Friday in Indianapolis and they went out into the crowd during "We Are". WELL, Kendall and Carlos came to my side and everyone like sprinted to try to touch them. I wasn't fast enough, so I stayed where I was. And my little brother pointed down, fifteen feet from us, and *insert angel singing* right there, singing beneath the spotlight, was KENDALL FRICKING SCHMIDT. And I swear he's even more beautiful in real life. And I screamed and flipped out, did this little grip-my-head-and-jump-up-and-down-like-a-prick-fan girl thing and almost broke my legs. Cause even though I didn't get to touch his sweaty bod, that's the closest I've ever been to any of them. I'm sure a lot of you have met them and have touched their sweaty bods and have talked to them and stuff, but I'm not so fortunate. So to me, that was a big thing.**

**Originally I was gonna shoot the guys down with elephant tranquillizers and take them home, but the people at the gate took my gun away. Dang. #BTRSleepingLikeBabies *insert pictures of the guys, dead because they were shot with elephant tranquillizers* #TheyBreatheSoLightly #ImGoingToJail**

**I'm kidding. Totally kidding. Don't call the cops on me.**

**And question, if you're still reading this, how many tour buses do they have and what colors? Cause I saw two brown ones, which were just like the ones I know they have, and a blue one, maybe two, I dunno. They were parked in a place that anyone could see, so that's why I'm skeptical. But my mom insisted they were their tour buses, but they were parked where people could see, so I'm not so sure. Anyone know?**


End file.
